


Dance of the Jellyfish

by The_Lich_Queen



Category: Undertale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dreamtale (Undertale), Anti-Void, Gloom and Doom Knights, King Nightmare, Multiverse, Nega Kingdom, NightMama, Other, Princess Nim, Starlight Kingdom, king dream, star sanses, void
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:48:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 61
Words: 46,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24353119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Lich_Queen/pseuds/The_Lich_Queen
Summary: Despite 'jellyfish' in the title, there is none to be seen in this story... XDAdopted another one of Firehedgehog prompts from their 'Idea Factory' - This one being called 'Nim'.After witnessing the ERROR final moments at the hands of Ink, Nightmare decides to do everything in his power to save his best friend no matter what the cost.
Relationships: Nightmare/Dream
Comments: 51
Kudos: 94





	1. Night Of Death

The dark oozy monster had watched intently during the whole battle- Ink, the Guardian of the Multiverse, had cornered the ERROR, the Destroyer of Worlds, in a barren universe.

Nightmare now stares in shock and horror as Ink forms a giant Gaster Blaster out of some strange paints and attacked the ERROR.

It seemed that the Artist had levelled up and gained a new skill in the form of an attack...

It had been an equal FIGHT up until this point.

Now, the ERROR was drowning in the blasting of both liquid paint and raw power.

The scales of power had been tipped.

Nightmare melts into the shadows, daring to go closer.

The dark creature appears close to the battlefield where the ERROR now lay on his back, panting heavily and staring up at the purple sky above, clearly not seeing anything since his sockets were filled with ERROR signs.

Ink was standing above, fairly slightly better than the mega-glitch but still looking ready to keen over and die.

The SOULless creature was laughing, giving the ERROR a speech that no doubt went unheard over the static and laboured breathing coming from the fallen skeleton.

When the Guardian notices his own hand melting into ink he laughs and declares this battle a drew- then he opens a portal with yellow paint and leaps through.

As soon as he felt that the Guardian had gone, Nightmare rushes over to the fallen glitch and kneels down.

Just as he reaches for his best friend, Error starts to dust; strange black and white dust raises from his bones, causing the wounded to slowly fade away.

Nightmare felt something was wrong.

Whenever his friend died before, there had been 'ones' and 'zeroes' coming off of him too, which lead to the ERROR be RESPAWN into the Anti-Void.

Suddenly he felt a new presence, spinning around he came face to face with Death.

"*what are you doing here?" Nightmare growls at the Grim Reaper, who was living up to his name since he appeared very 'grim' at the moment.

Nightmare's highly intelligent mind put two and two together and even when the answer came back as 'four' it made no sense- the ERROR was never meant to die.

"* **no**." Nightmare growls darkly stepping in front of the ERROR's dusting form, his tentacles whipping around wildly.

"*sorry. but do ya really not want ya friend to reach the other side?" Reaper sad voice spoke to him, "if i don't guide him. he'll become a lost soul."

"* **but the multiverse needs the error.** " Nightmare slaps back in anger, yet his tentacles lowered slightly.

"*if the multiverse was able to form one destroyer." Reaper told him softly, "what makes ya think it can't make another?"

Suddenly the creature of darkness lowers his tentacle in defend, there was nothing he could do, his friend had already dusted- turning around he witnesses the ERROR's final moments.

Error no longer had ERROR signs in his red sockets, nor was that deafening static filling the air- instead he was looking at Nightmare, an insane grin spread across his yellow teeth.

Nightmare did not need to have the ability to sense other emotions to know that his best friend was happy, truly happy that his miserable life was coming to an end.

"*thank you night'." Error gasps out his grin turning into a soft sweet smile.

Then Error's skull dusts and the only thing left was a small glitching piece of SOUL which was burning brightly with DETERMINATION, the light was fading, becoming dim.

Death now overshadowed the SOUL piece reaching for it.

Nightmare lashes out with three of his four tentacles, causing Reaper to go sailing through the air and crashing into a wall.

Nightmare grabs the SOUL piece with both hands and brought it close to himself.

Then he melts into the shadows, he hears Death coming for him, yet he did not care.

Nightmare reappears in his library- it was a monumental tower that went deep underground and high into the heavens, with 658 levels filled with books from all over the multiverse.

Some universes had the same books, except the rare few that came with different books.

Error once explained it had something to do with the Voices. If a Voice was aware of books they would be made within the universe even if they had not read the book themselves, that was why books like 'Alice in Wonderland' was in almost every universe, most of the Voices had heard of this book.

If the Voice knew more about robots rather than flowers, then books on robots that the Voice had read in their realm would appear into that universe.

And Nightmare went around collecting any and all books he had not already got- he even had the ERROR made a programme for him, to keep an inventory on the computer, giving him a list of every book that had passed through these doors.

The dark creature rushes towards some shelves, grabbing a large thick leather skin book that had a gold lock, which had been broken.

A loud crack filled the air, gazing down he stares at his only true friend's SOUL. It had a large break down the middle.

With the book in one hand, he throws it down onto the table he had set up in every room, he had no time to worry about being careful of the old book.

Quickly turning the pages, he finds what he was looking for- something he read long ago about SOULs. There had to be something here to keep his SOUL here. Perhaps restore Error's body.

This book was from a universe that had SOUL bonds, bounds, and mates. There were also forbidden casts where one could take control of a SOUL.

The only problem with this, the caster had to be stronger than the victim.

And the ERROR was so much stronger than Nightmare.

Nightmare's visible eye fell upon a strange cast.

"* **immortal jellyfish'?** " Nightmare utters slowly as he blocks reads through the pages, his eye widening as he continues on.

A slow insane grin spreads across his jaws.

The casting was about forcing a SOUL into a souling, then linking them up to a willing SOUL for them to rebirth them.

The requirements had to be that the SOUL loved the subject deeply.

Nightmare knew that he loved Error dearly. Almost like a brother.

The ERROR was the only real friend he had ever known- his followers really did not treat him as a friend, they left him out during their game nights and their shopping trips. They respected him, viewed him as too high for them to have a friendship with,

"* **let the casting begin**." Nightmare growls to the universe. 


	2. Issues Arise

Nightmare did not regret his choice.

The only thing he really regretted was not stepping in to aid Error that night.

However, the two friends had an agreement- they would not help each other with when in a solo FIGHT with it concerns either Dream or Ink.

The casting had been successful, Error's SOUL had shifted into a souling and was now deep within Nightmare's SOUL.

... there was a few slight issues that came with it.

One, Nightmare's darkness retreated on itself.

Currently, he had returned to his former weak self.

Bones pure white that glowed like the moonlight, he had two different shades of purple in both eyelights; a deep purple at the bottom and a lighter shade at the top that curved and make it appear to be an upside-down crescent moon.

Nightmare's voice was now soft, gentle and very haunting to whoever heard it. His movement all seemed to flow with a strange grace...

The second issue... he needed a mate.

Nightmare had been in such a hurry that he had not been aware that he had needed such a thing. And yet, he still would have gone through with it, there was no other side of saving his dying friend.

The third worry...

...the thought of mating with someone left him feeling a little nauseous.

Nightmare could not see himself mating with just anyone. But the ERROR needed a strong body, so he made a list of all the powerful skeleton monsters and then another list for non-skeleton monsters.

While the book said that the mother had to be of the same kind, the father could be whoever they desired.

The fourth concern was once he found a mate and actually manage to brew, then he would need to rest for two years since that was how long skeletons brewed the bodies of their offspring.

The fifth, he was anxious that his followers would attack him and claim his domain; at the moment he was vulnerable and could easily be overpowered.

If Dream found him in this sta-

Nightmare's mind went blank and he leans back into his seat, lowering the book he had been failing to read.

"* _dream_." Nightmare's haunting voice breaths out.

Laying the book on his lap he brings both hands up to his jaws placing his palms together and linking his fingers, apart from his indexes and thumbs, then leads his teeth against them as he ponders over this.

It was not uncommon for monsters to pair with siblings, monsters were not made like humans and animals who's code broke down in time with inbreeding.

Nightmare frowns deeply, the more he thought about it, the more he wanted it. Wondering over what it would be like to breed with his brother who held the power of the golden apple while he held the dark apple.

With kind of power would the ERROR have?

It was something that could aid his friend in the future... no, Nightmare did not want Error to fight in the front lines anymore.

"*i'm retiring you error." Nightmare says with a smile, he lowers his hands and unlinks them, "now then. how shall i capture my brother?"


	3. Capture Target: Complete!

Nightmare was thankful that his followers were willing to listen to him even in this form, he had been worry to unveil himself ever since he locked himself in his room.

They were very happy when they discovered the cause, that Nightmare was giving up his body and power, for the sake of their beloved mega-glitch.

Nightmare had explained to them everything, so it would not come as a shock when he kidnaps his brother, who he wanted to sire his friend.

Each member was against this at first, claiming that they could the father the souling, however, even as weak-minded as Dream was, he was still unbelievably strong; it was just he held back.

And now Nightmare was very interested in what kind of offspring they would have. The combined forces of both the apples.

Now he stood on a high building overlooking the city of this universe's 'New Home', wrapped in a black cloak and black clothes, allowing no bone to be shown.

Below his Gloom and Doom Boys fought against the Star Sanses, Star Warriors and the Dream Team.

The Star Sanses was made up of three, Dream, Ink and Blue. The Star Warriors was made up of fifteen monsters from different universes that were fierce warriors and would not hold back, there were not Sanses in this group.

The Dream Team was made up of Sanses. The number changes depending on who answered the call at the time, but the members of this group were over a hundred, so it was decided that only ten came along out of these.

Nightmare's Gloom and Doom Boys was just 'evil' Sanses.

Killer, Dust, Horror, Red Rum, Yan Blue, Dere Honey, Rotten, Mould, Cherry, Blood Orange and Doc- a mad Sci Sans who rarely fought.

Each member had high LV and could take out the larger number of monsters coming at them- they also worked in teams at times.

Whenever the ERROR joined the battle he would take control of any and force their foes to fight against their own teammates. The despair that came from them would always strengthen Nightmare.

A bright flash of light filled the area below, making the cursed creature blink against it.

Nightmare waits silently as the light fades...

A noise came from behind, turning he sees his boys standing there, bleeding and bruised but grinning like mad. In Killer's arms was Dream, unconscious to the world around him.

A slow evil smile forms, not that it would be seen with the mask on, and if it did, his boys would have booed and hissed at him like they had done the first time he showed them his 'evil' smile. It seems he could not pull it off in this form. "*good. let us return." Nightmare says raising a hand and opening a black shadow as a portal. The Gloom and Doom Boys marched in and Nightmare follows behind him.


	4. Loving Intent

Nightmare waits until his dear brother awakens; Dream lay in the bed looking around lost and confused at the old familiar sight- the plan was to make the golden skeleton believe that it was all just a dream.

Which was not hard to do since Dream does not believe that anything but himself could make the darkness that covered his bones go away.

Nightmare had built the room to look exactly like their old home, the underground building that was under the roots of the tree. They there were only ones able to move the root system aside to reach the hidden temple.

'*guess it's showtime.' Nightmare thinks as he steps out of the shadows and into Dream's line of sight, who looked stunned.

"*Brother?" Dream asks him softly, tears filling his sockets.

"*yes brother?" Nightmare answers raising a browbone at him, "is something wrong?"Dream stares at him, almost longingly, then slowly looks around at his surroundings sadly, clearly believing it was a dream now.

The thing was with them, they both could not tell the difference between real life and their dream world because of how their powers worked- when they were younger they had a hard time with this.

Sometimes Nightmare would spend hours in his dream world, wishing for a better life where both he and his brother was loved by the monsters of their universe.

...he always woke up in pain.

The way they learnt to know the differences, was the butterfly. They had made a butterfly appear in their dream world which would follow them where ever they went.

Nightmare had created a butterfly close to Dream, he had already seen his brother watching it in disappointment.

"*I am dreaming." Dream says with a heavy sigh, then looks to him sadly, "of course I am. Because here you are."

Nightmare stalks over to his brother carefully and climbs onto the bed, then sat beside him.

"*what do you mean dream?" Nightmare questions him with a deep frown, he reaches for his brother, gently rubbing his cheek in a loving manner.

"*Oh? It's this type of dream." Dream says with a laugh as his cheek flare-up with golden magic, sitting up he crawling onto Nightmare's lap and wrap his arms around his neck then kissing him deeply with hesitation.

Nightmare was dumbfounded, shock rushes through his mind and SOUL trying to work out what was happening.

'*dream has dreams of us together?!' Nightmare's mind screamed at him as he took in this new piece of information, 'how can i use this against him? wait! this is a good thing. to make a child. love intent has to be there. if brother dreams these things of me. then that kind of love is within him.'

Nightmare slowly kisses back, forcing down his smirk that he knew was forming on his jaws.

How long they stayed like that, passionately kissing each other Nightmare did not know. At last, they pull away then merely stared into each other's sockets, their eyelights glowing brightly.

"*I cannot believe I am having this dream of all times," Dream breathes out resting his forehead onto Nightmare's, "My friends need me."

"*i'm sure your friends are fine." Nightmare told him kindly, trying to keep his voice steady... because his brother was a good kisser.

Nightmare did not want to be beaten by his brother and pushes him down on the bed and straddles him, gazing down with intent.

"*brother. i want you." Nightmare told him carefully, watching as Dream's expression changes to an unreadable one.

"*You have me." Dream says as his features light up once more, he shifts under him, as if getting comfortable, "Take me, I am your's."

Nightmare silently stares down his expression free of emotion due to having yet another shock due to the golden skeleton's actions.

"*...brother. you misunderstand." Nightmare utters out softly, watching him with love in his sockets, "i want your brew."

Dream's sockets widen so dramatically that Nightmare chuckles.

"*so now. it is me who should be saying those words." Nightmare told him slyly, he leans down and grabs hold of Dream's shoulder and then spun them around of that he was lying beneath him, "take me. i'm your's."

It was Dream's turn to be completely stunned, whatever dreams had been having of Nightmare, it seems that the darker half had never been in this position.

Dream slowly leans down and kisses him deeply once more. Nightmare kisses back.


	5. Brewing The Peach

It had been ten days since that night...

After his brother had fallen asleep Nightmare taken him back the universe Ink had made- it was called Under Starlight and was barren at the moment, looking like an Anti-Void with houses and other building placed about.

This place was going to be home to the ERROR's survivors that Core Frisk took care of; there were also others who's universe collapse without the air of the Destroyer- however, that place was like an Anti-Void from the reports he had read about. No blue skies, no grass, no water or air.

It was not the best place to live their life out in...

Dream had been working hard for other monster's sakes again and completely overlooking his own self. It was what happened in their own home.

Dream had grand ideas of love and peace but could never carry them out, simply because trying to help anyone and everyone, he fails to see those closest to him needing him.Nightmare glances around his own universe.

It was a broken universe, its name he had forgotten, it was a lush green world filled with fresh air, rich forests, magnificent rivers, beautiful oceans, amazing valleys and fields of growing flowers, marvellous mountains. And at night, the heavens display their splendour with an array of brilliant stars.

Error loved this place and gave it to Nightmare as a gift in order not to fully destroy it. If something had a purpose then he would not delete it from their multiverse.

It was a good place to raise his new offspring.

This time he will give his friend a good life, with no pain or suffering and a future of his own choosing.

Nightmare leads back onto his sofa, very pleased with the outside- his dear friend's tiny SOUL piece had reshaped itself into the form of an apple and it was becoming a strange peach colour. Error's piece of SOUL had become a true souling.

And this tiny souling was beginning to depart from its mother's SOUL.

Nightmare unbuttons his white blouse revealing his silvery bones, he reaches to the under of his ribs and felt them- there they were, 'fossils'.

Soon these hair like bones would grow out and take hold of the souling and travel downwards while spinning, creating a cocoon called a 'skeleton key' when he would then brew a body for his souling, a skeleton babe known as a 'shin'.

Once the 'key had set, then Nightmare's bones would harden and he would be frozen in place for a few weeks- Normally the mate would stay guarding their harden body.

This was so that all his magic was focusing on brewing the shin in its first stages within; his harden state allowed him to move about with his magic keeping his bones together.

During this hardening, he had to be very carefully, as his bones could break- thankfully if anything happened and they fell off, they would be able to rejoin and not dust. Pleased with the result, he retracts his hand and sighs- his friend would live.


	6. Locked in the Tower

The Tower of Terror, which was a castle with nine towers with connecting walls, the grounds were huge and in the centre was the main castle with the tallest tower right in the middle of that.

Outside these walls were more land, at a good distance were lord and knight's manors.

Then another wall surrounds this land- then came there was the castle town.

Everything seemed that it needed repairs and cleaned up.

The Gloom and Doom Boys were behaving over the top with is care, they had completely fixed the main tower and clean it until it shined.

This was where Nightmare spent three months hardening his bones, completely dead to the world while his magic readjusted itself to take on the brewing skeleton within.

Some he was up and able to move around, even though he was still stiff, his Boys were doing everything for him... he was sick of it already, however, understand that he was not only weak from the hardening but also from his lost of Darkness that normally coated his bones.

"*i have another two more years of this." Nightmare says with a heavy sigh.

Suddenly Killer was there, places a cool glass of lemonade with ice, which was one of Error's favourite things to drink, then sets down a teacup filled with warm elderflower tea, which was his favourite drink to have when reading.

"*we kidnapped everyone from that genocide farmer tale." Killer told him in his low raspy voice, "we settle them into the castle town."

Nightmare nods his skull, then glares at his most loyal follower.

"*what?" Nightmare snaps at him.

"*ya so glowy." Killer says with a wide grin, "and helpless. i could kill ya right here. right now. and there's nothing ya can do to stop me."

Nightmare snorts loudly and reaches for the tea, he then starts drinking slowly without any worry, even while the grinning Killer watched him the whole time.

Nightmare knew he was lying, there was no way Killer would turn on him.

"*make sure those fools get settled in right. but do not leave it to horror." Nightmare told him firmly, "he will eat all the food. and dust... might lose it and start dusting. so be sure if he does go. that he is not alone."

"*heh. ok boss." Killer purrs out, "and don't ya worry. i'll protect ya while ya brewing error."

"*there was not any doubt." Nightmare tells him with an evil smirk- Killer pulls a disgusted face, "will you stop that! every single time i smile-" he leans forward to try and hit his underling with his tentacle only to find it was not there...

Laughing, Killer turns and vanishes into the shadows.

Nightmare sighs and settles back in his seat, the ERROR's SOUL seemed to need a lot of supply of power and while he had a lot himself, he needed to eat and sleep to keep his magic topped up.

Choosing to come to this forgotten run-down old castle has been Doc's idea, the insane Sci Sans had looked through all of the strongholds he had and decided that this universe would be the best place to brew and even raise Error.

With carefully thought Nightmare realizes that he could no longer call the ERROR Error, so now was dreaming up a name.

"*no rush. i have two years to decide." Nightmare tells himself with a nod, then putting the teacup down he reaches for the tall glass of lemonade and gulps it down quickly, he actually did not like lemon himself.

"*you better appreciate this error." Nightmare growls at his best friend, he knew it was the glitch to blame, it was just a lot easier to blame him at the moment.

The hardening makes it hard to move around- he had slept three months, which a little longer than most skeletons should and was still feeling stiff even after five days of awaking.

Doc told him that the longer he sleeps in the hardening stage, the stronger the shin will be- but, any longer than four months could mean death for the shin, so he was glad he woke up when he did.

Nightmare found it rather interesting at the same time, he kept a diary of everything that had happened and how he felt during each period.

The ancient book had explained that his friend could get his memories back, it seemed to vary from monster to monster. The start of memories could show up his dreams.

Which Nightmare could take control of if he wanted, letting Error see only want he wanted him to see...

Nightmare smirks at the thought- if the ERROR got his former power back, then he would have a very powerful member and not swapping requests and favours when they wanted something of each other.

"* _ugh_." Came an odd noise, looking up he sees Dust standing there with a plate of large double chocolate chip cookie and a pint glass of milk.

"*i swear...you boys..." Nightmare snarls at him, "get out!"

Dust turns and snickering, he hurries to leave the room.

"*wait!" Nightmare calls to him, making the insane Sans halt and look over his shoulder at him, "leave the cookies and milk."

Dust snorts loudly then came back and set the plate and glass down, then ran out of the room as quickly as he could, laughing all the way.

Nightmare sighs once more.

Then a true smile spread on his jaws.

No one would say it, they all were broken up over losing Error, the mega-glitch had become a huge part of everyone here life's- he had was like a big brother to them all... a big brother who, at times, acted like a spoiled shin.

When they first learnt of what Nightmare had done, they all vowed to help care for the little skeleton that was to come- the next was to fight to find out which of them should be the godfather.

Nightmare told them that they could all be big brothers to him since everyone did not want to be called uncle for some reason.

The creature of darkness stares down at his silvery hand...

"*this is going to be a long two years..." Nightmare growls out darkly.

"*ya 'growls' don't really inspire fear anymore." Came Horror rough voice, making Nightmare glance up and see the Horror Sans halfway reaching for his cookies, "heh. oops? i gave myself away."

Horror spun around and darts out the room.

Nightmare knew he was right, his voice was soft, gentle and had a haunting feel to it. It did not match him even when he was living with his brother.

"*what next. are yan blue. dere honey and the others going to show up next." Nightmare rumbles to himself, he eyes up the door to room, half thinking the Yandere Swap Sans with his mate, the Yandere Swap Papyrus, would be there.

The mad pair did not actually live here, they lived in their own universe which they had removed all monsters from just so that they could be alone.

They came whenever Nightmare had a job for them.

It was the same with Rotten and Mould. The Swap Fell Sans and Papyrus came over when they called, but other than that, they lived their normal lives in their own universe.

Red Rum, Cherry and Blood Orange were living in the castle town as far as Nightmare was aware. 

The just left Doc as the only one of his Boys left in the main castle.

"*greetings my king." Came a smooth voice, slowly turning his skull he finds Doc staring down at him, "how are you feeling? getting enough to eat? that souling needs a lot more magic than most soulings. but it might just be because the error's soul is trying to settle. remember he was feding off the anti-void all this time. and the error has a great amount of lv."

"*i know." Nightmare huffs out turning away, he was actually acting a lot more childish ever since taking on Error's SOUL.

Nightmare ran a hand over his skeleton key, where his dear friend was brewing.

"*i want to give him a good life this time." Nightmare told the insane Sci Sans, "give him a chance to be happy. and while i love the idea of being able to control him..." he held silent for a long moment, "i want him to have his own choice with what his future will be."

"*that would be wise." Doc says almost kindly, "everything here loves and respects ya. if ya did do something like that. i think ya lose all that trust ya built up with everyone here."

Nightmare nods, he thought back to his old universe- he now had a universe under his rule, even from here he could feel the fear from where he was.

He was aware that they came from a dying world and they were grateful at being saved. But the betrayal of the past cut him deeply still and he dreaded the day when he had to appear before them...

Nightmare realizes that he did not need to.

Glancing out of the large window- did he have to meet them?

Everyone seemed to be calling him 'king' now, but he could care for his new people from here without ever leaving the tower.

Nightmare suddenly realized just how badly he wanted to be their king, to love and protect them as he always has might do for his own universe.

It might just be because he does not have his darkness concealing him...that he feels this way.

With a deep sigh, he leans back into his seat once more, half-listening to Doc continuing on.

A small smile came on his jaws... even though he had lost his dear friend, he was happy with how things were going with his life at the moment. 

Locking himself in the tower was the best idea, for now, he could act as king from here. 


	7. Requests

Nightmare sat at his desk, writing new laws and orders concerning his new followers- the fear that was over flowering in them when they first arrived five months ago was now settled and they were spacing themselves out with new farmlands in the countryside, leaving the castle town free of dwellers once again.

Rotten had come to him, his skull bowed down low, something he had never done before. The swap fell Sans had a request.

Rotten wanted the dwellers of his universe to move out of their world. To do that would mean to overthrow Queen Toriel.

So on top of trying to organize his new followers, he was trying to take down another kingdom.

Before Nightmare would have killed everyone within the chosen world once he got what he wanted out of it, however, it was the dwellers that were wanted.

According to Rotten he had been planning to overthrow the Queen and make himself king for a while- he already had lots of loyal followers in his ranks that were willing to have Nightmare as their King if it meant sunlight.

Because the Queen had the seventh child's SOUL and was not uses it, the monsters were losing hope. The moment they had been longing for was within their grasp and nothing was being done.

Everyone in that Swap Fell had trained their whole lives to prepare for the time they left the underground and rage war against the humans.

So Rotten's offer was that every dweller of his world becomes soldiers, adults and children alike. 

Nightmare liked the idea of having protection around his bare walls, so agreed.

Now he was telling his Boys not to kill anyone while they overtook this Swap Fell... which looked like it was going to be hard on them.

"*nightmare~" Came a sing-song voice, looking up he sees Killer there tossing his knife up and down in the air, "we're set to go~"

Nightmare nods and continues on with his work.

"*ya gonna be all alone here." Killer went on glaring darkly at him, which was his version of a worried frown, "ya gonna be alright?"

"*fine. now go. and don't disappoint me." Nightmare growls at him, making Killer look at him in disgust, "that joke is over! stop doing that!"

"*who said it was a joke?" Killer says to him with a low growl, which was his version of a sweet tone, "ya look bad when ya try to look _bad_."

"*i swear to the stars above. that i will kill you if you do not leave my sight right now." Nightmare snaps at him, the joke had been dragging on a long time and it was getting on his nerves, "now leave."

Killer gave him that dark glare once more and vanishes into the shadows.

With a sigh, the King ran a hand over his skeleton key, the key felt soft to touch yet it was as hard as stone.

"*what are we going to do with him err- i mean." Nightmare says to himself, "my little nim."


	8. Crumble

It took six months to overtake Swap Fell... something that should have taken a few days if they were just killing anyone and everyone.

There had still been those loyal to the Queen, he gave them a choice. Die and his hands or join them by killing a fellow loyal monster.

Any monster that did kill their fellow soldier, was killed out of sight of the others. If they betrayed their companions then they would betray him.

Those who remained loyal right to the end, he spared by throwing them into another world to live in and then sealing it so no one could go in and out.

The new soldiers that now lived in Castle Town, that had become its name... felt him with a small sense of relief, knowing that his Nim would be protected should any try to overthrow him from the inside.

"*nightmare." Killer says wandering into the room, "i'm bored."

"*yes. it's been a while." Nightmare agrees with a nod, then a slow evil smile form on his jaws, "go. take the boys with you."

Killer beams as best an emotionless creation could and spinning around, vanishes from view. Nightmare silently pats himself on the back, he had finally managed to pull off an 'evil smile' in his old form without anyone mocking him for it.

...he had practised in the mirror each morning, but that was between himself and his brew.Currently, the soldiers were adjusting to their new lives on this surface world, enjoy freedom and peace. However, they knew who Nightmare was and that why they were needed, they did not lack in their training.

Still, Nightmare had the broken Farm Tale monsters and now the Swap Fell monsters in his domain. Surprisingly the Swap Fell monsters were getting on with the layback farmers. Nightmare lifts a document up and turns it face down onto a pile.

The creature of darkness was starting to think he needed help now that his followers were growing.

Nightmare frowns, then looks up to find Horror stand before his desk.

"*you did not leave with the boys?" Nightmare questions him a raised brow.

"*i told the others that one of us should stay behind." Horror told him carefully, looking away from him, then slowly turns to meet his sockets, "i have a request."

Nightmare leans back in his seat but left his hands on the desk, then nodding he says, "*yes. continue."

Horror nods his thanks, "*its the same as rotten's request." Horror explains, "the monsters on my world are suffering... but i understand they're no longer in the right frame of mind."

Nightmare nods his skull, understanding what Horror meant. Unlike Swap Fell, while violent, they knew how to behave as normal monsters. They still cared for their loved ones and tried to protect them.

Horror Tale monsters no longer had the sense of right and wrong, they hunger driving them to eat the other. None of them was sane.

In fact, Horror might have been the only one close to sane and he was insane.

"*leave. horror. allow me to think." Nightmare told him gently, he hated his voice! It was so calming and smooth; the haunting voice seemed to fill the room.

Horror bows his skull and turning he shortcuts out of the room.

Nightmare ponders over this matter delicately, this matter would be a huge change and he did not think Farm Tale and Swap Fell would be able to handle those Horror Tale monsters, Farm Tale more so.

Leaning over to his desk's draw, he opens it and takes out a beaten off notepad that Error had given him.

It was in case he should ever truly die and Nightmare needed to stall for time until a new Destroyer came... he never thought he would ever use it.

Within it held the names of broken and dying worlds that Error had been meaning to destroy, most was crossed out near the beginning as whenever he destroy a world, he would come and correct the notepad.

Nightmare flips through the pages, studying the universes' names.

Error's handwriting was bad as if he could not keep his hands steady. Which was strange still when it came to knitting and crocheting, he was a pro, never dropping a stitch.

Nightmare's eyelights land was a universes' name. Under Cure. Which was a medical base universe.

It was a rare universe and there were only a few copies, which all lagged.

Under Cure #0, which was the first by what Error told him about the #--, and was barely surviving and his friend had told him that it needed to be dealt with.

However, #0 universes, the originals of that Alternate Universe, were hard to take down.

The ERROR did not say why so Nightmare could only guess that Ink fought harder for these ones. Nightmare needed to check these places out, he needed to see if there was a chance that these lagging universe could damage his universe if he brings the monsters here.

Nightmare reads further on, Error left little notes under the universes, however, they were hard to make out.

"*what i really need is someone who can see and read the codes of universes." Nightmare told himself with a heavy sigh, he tries to think of any creatures like that.

Then he remembers Error telling him about Sci Sans, the #0 one had been trying to study the codes and the mega-glitch wanted to stop him. However, Sci Sans was untouching due to his role in the multiverse- he had made some powerful friends.

Many went to Sci for different reasons, different requests and even treating wounds. Sci was a neutral so helped any who paid him enough.

Error had told him that Sci always asked based on what the monster who came to him was capable of. And always asked the ERROR many impossible things for aid.

Nightmare thinks to his own mad Sci Sans, Doc, who was building for himself a huge underground lab that had a large modern building that did not match the old castle town.

Nightmare really did not know what the mad scientist did half the time, but that did not matter now, as crazy as he was Doc was still brilliant.

If he had the right data than he should be able to do anything Sci could. And that should lead him on the right path to be able to bring the Under Cure monsters here. Nightmare grins and starts planning.


	9. Haunted

At first, everything seemed to go plan.

Nightmare did the forbidden of the unspoken law in the multiverse and attacked Time Tale #0 and cornered Sci Sans.

Then allowed his Boys to run riot around the place, just destroyer and taking things they needed- which of his Boys had a group of soldiers under their command and a list of things. Of course, Ink showed up to put a stop to this madness.

Nightmare had been wearing a black cape that hid his form and power slightly, Dream should know he was there.

...Dream mistook his dim power for being on the edge of death and went crazy.

Nightmare, Doc and even Sci, had watched from a high window as Dream ploughed for his soldiers and reached the building in record speed.

With his Boys already scattered around Time Tale and only Doc for protection Nightmare did the smartest thing and decided to retreat.

Giving the call he informs his Boys by radio what was happening and told everyone to return home.

The door had burst open and Dream stood there, panting heavily.

Nightmare held onto his cape's hood and lowered his skull, glaring from under it, begging that his brother did not see his glow skull or purple eyelights.

"*Brother! Are you alright!?" Dream cries out in panic stepping forward into the room.

The device that allowed them to make portals in this portal free zone was activated and Nightmare quickly steps through, never taking his sockets away from Dream.

Nightmare sighs at the memory, then smiles at the result.

It had four months but Sci had made the machine that would allow them to scan the monsters' code, seeing if they were unstable or not.

Now came the complete take over of all Under Cure's monsters- the aim was for them to look after the Horror Tale monsters.

Nightmare had already built a city like compound where the five universes worth of monsters would live.

However, with the increase of monsters that were coming food was short. Horror seemed to panic went he heard this news so Nightmare spent the whole day with him explaining the plan. They were going to raid the human world of different universes, another forbidden thing to do. So storehouses needed to be built to contain their stock.

Nightmare looks at the workers- all the monsters came together to help build these new storehouses.

They were placed between Castle Town and the new compound that had just been completed. It was called Horror Village... even though it was the size of a city.

The Farm Tale monsters all lived in the countryside, however, they made a Town for themselves which they went to trade their goods and meet together for gatherings. This place was called Market Town.

Nightmare was planning to adjust some of the buildings there since they were not much of buildings at the moment, more like tents and shells of buildings.

Nightmare nods his skull of approval things were starting to fall into place.

Suddenly he felt all eyes on him and looking around he sees the monsters staring at him.

Quickly raising his hood he hid, opening a portal he runs to the safety of his tower.

Nightmare did not like being stared at in a crowd- he gave him flashbacks of those hateful eyes of his own universe. He still remembers them, all surrounding him, those stares... the haunting him.


	10. News

"*cross?" Nightmare growls out darkly, he glares at Killer, Dust, Horror and Rotten, "what do you mean, cross is here?"

"*he came in with a universe... the capsule tale one i think." Dust answers him, no one dared to mock his 'growl' because while his smiles were now looking evil, with that voice he could not pull it off.

"*we have guards following him as soon as we noticed he was not the sans of that would." Rotten told him seriously, he looked angrier than Nightmare, since it was his job to screen those coming through, "i have my dog personally watching him."

Nightmare knew he was talking about Mould.

"*get rid of that traitor." Nightmare snaps at them, slamming his fist down onto his desk, "my son will be born in a few months. the last thing i need is for him to be reporting this to dream!"

Nightmare's Boys all nod and turning each vanishes inside their own shortcuts.

Nightmare stood up from his desk and marches to the window that overlooked the main entrance, beyond that was Castle Town- from here he could see all the rooftop since the tower was so high.

Nightmare rarely leaves the castle ground, unless it was really important. Rotten kept telling him that the people wanted to see their King.

Even if they did 'see' him, he was often wrapped in a pure black cape.

Doc kept agreeing with Rotten, claiming that he needed to Knight his Boys and hold parties for 'nobles' which were only a few monsters.

Cure Tale monsters had settled into the compound just fine and was very grateful to be saved from their doomed world; they now cared for the monsters of Horror Tale.

Cure Tale #0 had three copies, the other two had imploded on themselves taking their surrounding universes along with them.

There was now a huge hole in the multiverse and no one knew how to fix it.

Nightmare thought the multiverse was in trouble and there was no ERROR to help fix it- he was half hoping that the job would not fall on Nim and that someone other ERROR would come along.

It was clear things were getting worse over the past couple of years.

Ink seemed to be handling it but was very slow in doing so- he was also still creating more and more universes at the same time.

Nightmare peers through the glass, watching the setting sun in the distance. Somewhere out there was a loose cannon that could go off and break everything he had built in the last two years.

Spinning around Nightmare makes his way over to some stairs that were over the left side of the rounded room. This lead to his bedchambers and could only be access through his office from these stairs.

Nightmare reaches the bottom of the stairs and marches over to his kingsize bed.

As he climbs in he looks around at the three windows on different sides of the walls. Well, the stairs and the windows, but the tower was so tall that no one would be dumb enough to try and climb it.


	11. Someone Was Dumb Enough To Try And Climb It

Nightmare blinks awake, then frowns, something had awoken him.

Sitting up quickly he looks around and then stares in shock and utter amazement at Cross backing up through the broken window; since the windowsill was slightly higher than him, a leg was hanging down feeling the air, searching for the floor.

Then he just seemed to just give up and pushes himself off the windowsill, easily landing on his feet.

Nightmare glares at the moron as he starts staring around the room.

Nightmare realizes that he was going to be found at this rate.

Leaning over he grabs his black silk cloak then manages to wrap it around his form and cover his skull- Nightmare only slept in shorts, so his skeleton key was on full view.

Looking up he came gasps as he sees Cross was already standing, watching him with a deep frown.

"*Hi, I've come to rescue you." Cross told him with a seriously express on his features, "I heard from the monsters of capsule tale, that there's a monster locked up in this tower. From what they overheard, you are very important to Nightmare."

Nightmare stares from under his silky hood...

'*this moron does not know it's me?' Nightmare thinks as he takes in this information, then chosen to speak, "*yes. please leave."

Cross blushes.

'*what the-?" Nightmare thought in shock, wondering if he had seen right.

"*What a beautiful voice!" Cross told him seemingly stunned, then he smiles, "Don't worry! I won't let anything happen to you! I get you out of this tower and bring you to Dream!"

"*what?!" Nightmare cries out in surprise, Cross 'shh' at him, which only made him glare in angry, he rose to his feet a little wobble on the bed but it did make him taller than Cross, when his darkness went away, he lost his height, "i am fine as i am! i do not know you to play hero!"

"*Are you... brewing?" Cross cries out in panic, staring openly at him, before quickly turning away, only the mate was allowed to see a skeleton key.

However, Cross frowns and looks back, studying the key.

Nightmare quickly closes the cloak, hiding it from view. The creature of darkness knew the reason why, the key was the same colour as his darkness, black with a dark teal colour when the light hit it right. It was like all his darkness had wrapped around his key in order to keep his brew safe.

"*Could you- did Nightmare-!" Cross cries out in pain and the silvery skeleton really did not know what was going through his skull right now.

Suddenly Cross got a determined look in his socket and leaping onto the bed, bent down beside Nightmare, knocking him off his feet with one arm and carrying him.

"*Don't worry! I'll save you from this place!" Cross told him firmly, then with surprising speed, ran to the window, paused in front of it and bend his legs and then did a powerful leap upwards, onto the windowsill.

"*let me go you moron!" Nightmare hisses at him, he suddenly felt the high winds from being up this height and he starts to panic, "i do not need saving! let me go!"

Nightmare knew he was weak at the moment, all his power was going into forming a body for a creature that was more powerful than himself, so everything was being poured into his brew. Then Cross jumps.

And Nightmare screams.

...

They fell for a long time, Nightmare had to take a breath in order to scream some more.

...they continued to fall, so Nightmare give up screaming, no longer seeing the point and turns to glare at Cross, who was focused on the fall.

Nightmare twists in Cross's arms and looked down, he could see the ground coming to greet them.

"*Don't worry! You won't feel any of the impact!" Cross shouts of the passing winds, he smiles with confidence and Nightmare wanted to smack him around the skull.

Then they, finally, land.

The ground all around indented in on itself leaving a shattered crater behind- Cross had been true to his word, he took all the force of the landing into his bones. Then he took off running. Nightmare realizes by now that his hood has come away and Cross kept stealing glances at him, his blush was getting deeper.

'*why did dream date this loon?' Nightmare thinks as he looks ahead of them, they were fast coming up to the first lot of walls, 'if they get back together. i'm going to demand dream dump him!'

Suddenly alarms went off everywhere.

'*about time!' Nightmare thinks as he held onto his key, feeling if it was fine and if there would any crack, 'if my key was damaged in any way. forget the demand. i'd have killed him.'

Cross slowly down to a stop, turning to see the reason why, Nightmare rejoiced at the sight of his soon to be First Knight, Killer, standing in front of them.

Killer's black tears were pouring out, his face twisted in utter hatred.

A sound made Nightmare and Cross turn, to their left Horror comes strolling out with a huge grin on his jaws, dragging a bloody axe behind him.

A crazed laugh came from their right, turning that way, Dust wandering over to them, grinning insanely at them.

Cross steps back, however, a noise made Cross spin. Rotten and Mould stood there, both standing tall, both having a displeased expression on.

Cross grins at them, then pulls Nightmare closer, holding something up in the air and then throwing it down, creating pale grey dust and finding them from view.

When it cleared, Nightmare gasps at the sight of Castle Town.

They were standing upon some red-tiled rooftop-the sun was rising over the town, with reds and pinks filling the sky, slowly becoming bluer as the second went on.

Nightmare turns and stares at Cross, who looked very proud of himself. "*you will die a terrible terrible death." Nightmare informs the monochrome skeleton.


	12. Great Escape

Nightmare leans back in Cross's arms, enjoying the look of utter terror that crossed his face as he runs away from the townfolk at full speed.

Anyone who came out of their homes or shops joined the chase, all with their weapons out, yelling a battle cry- and surprisingly, it was not just the Swap Fell monsters that did this.

Other monsters who had come to 'love' Nightmare were rushing to save him from the kidnapper, who had taken their beloved brewing King from his bedchambers.

It seems that Cross did not want to harm them since he thought that everyone who lived in this place was brainwashed.

While the morning's sunlight beams over the land, Cross explains that the monsters of Capsule Tale had been taken from their universe and he happened to be there at the time.

The Capsule monsters had overheard heard lots of things that their captors said- this, however, was normal for newcomers. Nightmare had heard the monsters frighten dreams of all the 'ifs' and 'could bes'.

It actually fulled him at times, of course, once they grasped their situation, most of those dreams shifted into a hope for the future.

Monsters who came to this world do not have to pay any taxes for five years, given a house, a job and enough food and drink to get them through each other.

Nightmare had a system running where he stole most of his stuff from already doomed worlds, so he had enough supplies now. There was always a risk of a glitched or virus piece of item, everything had to be watched for a few days before going out into the world.

"*These monsters are no match for me!" Cross cries out, glaring at a dog monster that jumps in his way a butcher hook in hand.

"*the numbers are increasing." Nightmare told him sweetly, allowing himself to smirk, "no matter how strong you are. you shall not last much longer. your power is draining."

"*Thank you for your concern!" Cross says with a bold grin, which was quickly lost when he had to leap out of the way.

Killer makes another appearance.

The black tar-like tears of pure hate were waterfalling down his cheeks and soaking his jacket and jumper. It was a wonder if he could see.

" ** _* c r o s s ._** " Killer hisses out so darkly that cursed Nightmare would proudly pat him on the back for.

Nightmare gives a smile on approval instead, then looks to Cross with a smirk.

"*now cross. _put_. _me. down._ " Nightmare told him with a deadly voice, his haunting tone made it sent shivers down the spine of those who heard it.

Nightmare's sockets widen and he brings a hand up to his teeth surprised at himself; he had no idea that he could make his 'beautiful' voice sound of ...evil. And because of how it was, it made it even more terrifying.

Cross even looked at him in horror.

Then the moron shook his skull and forcing his sockets away from Nightmare, he glares at Killer.

"*Nightmare's world has started to corrupt you." Cross reasons aloud, he steps back with Killer quickly following forward, "I know a way out! Sci has given everyone in the Star Council a device that allows us to make one powerful leap! Even in closed-off universes like this!"

Nightmare's jaw parts slightly and suddenly he was on his feet, with Cross's arm wrapped around his shoulder and his other arm raised to the sky with a black box in his hand.

And suddenly Killer was sort of floating in front of it, then spun around with one leg out, doing around the house kick, knocking the device sailing across the street, hitting a brick wall.

Killer lands in front of Cross on his knee then sprang up, slashing out with his knife cutting the kidnapper on the chin. Killer might have had taken off his skull if Cross had not of backed up just in time, taking Nightmare with him still.

"* _for the sweet love of apples_!" Nightmare screams at Cross, turning to face up at him, "just let me go! if anything happens to my brew! i'll kill you! find a way to bring you back! just so i can kill you again!"

Suddenly Cross brings out his huge knife and raises to his side, catching the strike from the smaller knife but no less powerful.

Nightmare turns up to look at glare at Cross once more only to find that his skull was upturned, looking painful, with a foot in his face- Nightmare follows the foot up the leg and find Horror balancing on one leg, axe above his skull ready to give him a blow.

Cross pushes off Killer's blade and swung it up at Horror, who fell when his leg got cut off. Horror lands awkwardly on the cobblestone ground, his ribs taking the full force.

Nightmare watches one of his Boy's legs dust away.

Manic laughter sounded through the air and purple bones rained down from above- Nightmare got shoved to one side by Cross, making him fall to his hands and knees.

Cross stood on the spot breaking every bone that came his way, swinging his blade all over the place.

Rotten and Mould came, they attacked without warning, the pair worked in complete harmony with each other. The Swap Fell brothers slowly moved Cross back from his place, moving him away from Nightmare.

Dust who had been on the rooftop, lands in front of Nightmare, as if to shield him from the sight of the kidnapper.

Killer kneels before him, offering a hand. Taking it without complaining, he allows his First Knight to help raise him to his feet.

"*check horror." Nightmare snaps at Dust, who nods and then hurries over.

Because of Horror's universe having a lack of food, their bodies were actually much weaker. Horror was improving however, out of all of the Gloom and Doom Boys, he was the one to suffer from more broken bones.

Doc told Nightmare it might even be another three years before Horror's condition changed and that he would not break his own arms whenever he used his axe with too much force.

Nightmare held his cloak closer to his form, looking towards Cross who was still fighting- he was very bloody now.

"*join in if you want." Nightmare told Killer and Dust without pity for his brother's lover.

Suddenly the two dark Sanses dashed off, aiming for the poor SOUL that was Cross.

Glancing to Horror, he sees that Dust had turned him on one side and had wrapped something around the broken leg.

Suddenly there was a roar and gazes over, he sees Cross fighting harder and faster- then he vanishes, causing everyone to stare in stun silence for a moment.

Nightmare felt something touch the back of his legs and was then lifted up; his rear was now sitting on Cross's shoulder, hand on top of his skull to keep himself from falling, with the dumb skeleton's arm firmly wrapped around his legs.

They were airborne, Cross lands above the roof and then quickly swung his knife around once again, catching Killer's blade just in time.

Cross jumps and this time, so did Killer.

Killer brings his knife around, slashing at Cross's spine from behind and causing them all to fall.

Cross shouts out in pain as he falls skull first downwards.

Killer manages to grab his King and held onto him much like how Cross had done.

Then lands on the ground safely, an odd sound of flapping cloth reached his 'ears' and glancing up he sees his cloak slowly drift down, gentling reaching the ground.

That was when Nightmare became aware of the townfolks, all staring with weapons in hand- suddenly he was back in Dream Tale many years ago, the dwellers marching up to him, demanding his dust.

Nightmare tries to cover himself, to hide from their gaze, from the attacks that surely was to come; wiggling, he drops down into Killer's arms and he buries his face into the neck, begging for the earth to swallow him up and take him away.

The mumbles start and then a mighty cheer.

Nightmare so startled that he jumps slightly.

The monsters were cheering his name, not in a hateful or angry manner, it was one of joy and hope.

Nightmare socket's widen and he turns to look around, he saw the happy smiling faces of his followers. Nightmare had discovered that when happiness and goodwill when he was the cause of it, it did not harm him or make him sick.

A loud thump made him spin his skull away and his jaws part as he sees Cross's bloody form in front of him. A proud Dust, Rotten and even Horror stood before him.

Cross was breathing hard.

"* _you_!" Nightmare hisses darkly, taking himself out of his Knight's arms to face him fully, "you better beg the _stars_ that nothing has happened to my brew."

Cross grits his teeth and forced himself to stand, he points at the key that was the colour of his darkness.

"*that creature is the offspring of nightmare!" Cross shouts out at him, no longer talking kindly towards, "it should not exist!"

Nightmare stares dumbfounded at this skeleton.

"*you foul creature!" Nightmare yells out at him, all his followers looked ready to kill, " _i shall every bone in your form broken! healed and broken once more. until you fall into the pits of hell!_ "

Nightmare huffs loudly took a step toward Cross and glare at him darkly.

"this is my brew! my offspring!" Nightmare went on, running a hand almost lovingly over the key, "and even if this was the offspring of the error! i would love it regardless!"

A mighty cheer sounded causing Nightmare stops, then slowly looks around, more monsters had gathered, all watching, all staring... while he was half-naked.

Horror hops behind Cross held up his axe and hit him on the back of the skull with the bottom of the haft.

Cross's sockets widen for a split second before they close and then he falls face down on the cobblestone ground.

Another cheer filled the street causing Nightmare to glance all around him, once more they were smiling and happily cheering his name as if he had been the one who had defended the intruder.

Suddenly something was in front of him, something black- turning he sees Killer holding one of his spare jumpers from his subspace, because of the liquid hate that sometimes poured out, he always had some on him.

Taking the black jumper out of Killer's hands, Nightmare quickly pulls it on and over his skull, then pulls it down. He was smaller than Killer on this form, so it hung on him like a dress.

Nightmare starts at the gathered crowd, fear still lingering under the surface of his mind.

"*i am nightmare! king of this realm! the guardian of negatively! of darkness!" Nightmare calls out with a loud voice and they held silence, "you monsters of this place. shall no longer be called monsters of swap fell. or monsters of horror. or monsters of farmer tale. you are monsters of _nightmares_! of _negatively_! and from this day fore! you shall be called nega-monsters!"

The monsters did not cheer this time, instead, they surprised him by kneeling one by one, the ones at the front going down first and then a wave followed, going on as far as he could see. 


	13. Broken Key

Nightmare stares at them for a moment then nods his skull and turns to his Boys.

"*dust. aid horror back or get some guards to do it." Nightmare told them firmly, then glares darkly, "rotten. grab that device bring it to me. mould. take him."

Nightmare points to Cross on the ground.

Turning he starts to walk, he knew that he was near the town centre, where a gateway was for it to take him back inside the castle. Only those with a gateway could get through.

"*rotten. i want to know just how that moron managed to get in." Nightmare says as Rotten moves along by his side, offering the device to him, which he took, "there's no way he could have gotten in without anyone knowing. i want everyone who was on duty that night reporting to their captains."

"*yes my king." Rotten told him with a nod, then steps back and marching alongside his brother just behind him.

"*nightmare. should ya be walking around?" Killer spoke up from his right side, "ya been through a lot."

"*i'm fine. i don't want them to think me weak." Nightmare said as he nods to the crowd that was parting a way for them to walk down.

Killer nods and says no more.

It took about five minutes to get to the town centre, all the while Nightmare was worried for his brew, he had not wasted that much energy for a long time. The magic that should have gone into his little Nim.

On reaching the town centre he notices the crowd had gotten larger, all wanting to see their king without his cloak on.

Nightmare was gitting his teeth, trying not to let this unnerve him. Trying not to think of the past...

On reaching the gateway, he watches the three guards activate it with runes lighting up around a round stone archway, then a portal of purple appears.

Nightmare walks forward, he takes one last look at his followers and raises a hand up to give them a small wave.

Yet another cheer sound but he does not stay around to listen, heading through quickly.

"*maybe i should have given ya my shoes..." Killer voice comes next to him, turning Nightmare frowns at his Knight, who was looking down at his feet.

Nightmare glances down and sees had his bare silvery feet was dirty, scratched and bleeding in small places.

"*its fine. i'll live." Nightmare told him and began walking away from the gateway of the castle; Doc was standing to one side, watching him carefully no doubt looking for any bad injuries.

Nightmare glances down at the device.

"*doc. this device. cross said it could do a leap even in closed-off universes." Nightmare explains holding the small black box which looked like a remote control up in the air, he starts twisting it in his hand, studying it, "made by your counterpart."

That made Doc's orbits narrow.

"*i'll pick it to pieces and put it back together again. my king" Doc told him with a small smile, "now. let's get ya check out in my lab."

"*yes." Nightmare agrees with a nod, then turning he glances over to where Cross was.

Rotten had told Mould to drop Cross off at some guards. They had the blooded skeleton on a stretcher and Nightmare thought this too kind, they should have just dragged him by the leg behind them.

Dust had gotten Horror to a stretcher as well and was chatting happily, joking around, saying things like 'ya ain't got a leg to stand on' and 'i'm just pulling ya leg- oh wait' and stuff like that.

Horror was grinning boldly but he looked tired.

Nightmare turns and was about to hand the device to Doc when he notices something moving fast out of the corner of his orbit, to his left.

Turning he came face to face with Cross who grabs him around the waist and the other hand reaches out and grabs the device, pushing the button.

There was a roaring sound and then suddenly silence before another roaring came.

Cross picks him up properly and runs, Nightmare stares dumbly around at the grand building he found himself in- Cross came to some double door, the monsters in front open as he came near and he marching them inside.

Cross then dumps Nightmare roughy upon a tabletop in front of what seemed to be some kind of meeting being held by the Star Council.

Nightmare slowly looks around at them, until his eyelights land on his brother, Dream, who stares at him. Completely stunned. 

While no one else knew who this silvery skeleton was, there was no way Dream would not remember what he looked like.

Suddenly there was a loud cracking down which seemed to echo in this large room, Nightmare doubles over and groans in pain, holding his key.

Cross drops to the ground, appearing to have fainted.

"*What is wrong?!" Dream cries out beside him in panic, causing him to look up sharply, he had not sensed him move at all. Completely ignoring the fallen Cross in favour of the new skeleton, which must seem weird to the other members.

"*it is breaking." Nightmare says with a sob, which surprised, he held onto his key.

Dream grabs his jumper and pulls it up, his sockets widen at what lay beneath and then picks him up carefully- Dream's sockets widen slightly at the darkness around the ribs and centre. A beam of light surrounds them; Nightmare barely knew where he was anymore but the whole room reminded him of Dream.

He was laying on a bed now, he curls up on his side; Dream was still hovering over from when he had laid him down.

"*is it bad?" Nightmare groans out, gripping onto Dream's clothes, "is he dying?"

"*Do not worry brother! I shall get Sci to come right away!" Dream says to him softly, running a hand over his skull gently.

Nightmare sees the tears gathered in his brother's orbits- the silvery skeleton barely could think at the moment, so he just reached for and grabs Dream's hand.

"*do not leave me alone." Nightmare told him in a small voice, his grip on the hand was weak, Dream could easily have shaken it off.

Another loud crack and Nightmare groans.

"*if my offspring dies. i'm killing cross." Nightmare snaps at Dream suddenly, angry tears filling his socket, "that moron dragged me around like this! brewing! there still should be a few months left!"

Dream frowns deeply at his brother's words.

Then Dream starts removing the jumper. Nightmare only has his short on under it- this gave him the chance to see what was happening.

Nightmare sees his darkness wiggling wild around.

"*Brother, did you say you are brewing? This is not your darkness...?" Dream says as if a little dazed, then shaking his skull, focus his attention back on Nightmare.


	14. Small

The apple brothers lay on the bed together, it had been many years since they had done this, however, they were not cuddling to sleep during the cold nights. 

Dream was leaning over a curled over Nightmare, taking his hand away in order to try and lift him up. 

The slivery skeleton turns his skull and stares at the golden skeleton with watery orbits, breathing hard and wanting it to be over and at the same time not, since he knew it was not yet time. 

However, his body was already in complete shock from all that had happened and no matter how much he willed it to stop, it was not happening. 

Nightmare gave a cry and then hisses out in pain, shutting his orbits tight, he could feel the key breaking and rip off from his spine, ribs and pelvis.

Suddenly Dream was there holding firmly but gently, trying to force him to uncurl and sit up. 

"*Brother! Shh! I am here!" Dream's voice came, he felt him take his hand, "But I need to call Sci! This is a serious pr-"

Nightmare hisses out again and gritting his teeth together hard, he felt the break- then leans in skull into Dream's chest, panting down and looking down. 

The darkness swirls around him and suddenly moves as if a living creature of its own, wrapping around the silver bones and concealing them once more. 

The four tentacles burst out and swing around wildly, slamming against the bed hard. 

Nightmare felt his former power returning to him and opening his single eye which shines for a moment, he glares at his brother, who still kept firm hold of him while all this was happening, not even disgusted anymore of the muck that covered him. 

Sitting up he pushes Dream back, who lands on his back on the bed- who quickly picks himself up and stares at his brother with a sorrowful expression. 

Then reaching inside the darkness clotted dust came out, making Dream gasp- Nightmare brings out a tiny white shin about six inches, three inches too small; they lay in both hands completely still and unmoving. 

Nightmare just stares at a complete loss of what to do, his highly intelligent mind seemed to have crashed like the ERROR. 

Dream leapt up and cups his hands around Nightmare's hands, summons his Apple-shaped SOUL and a brilliant light came from it, flares of gold came out, brightening the whole room with the hot light.

Nightmare realizes what was happening and summons his own SOUL- pure light wisps of power like a liquid mist circle them. 

Magic of the two Apple Guardians pours into the tiny shin. 

And suddenly a little rattle sounded out. 

The brothers stop and stare down, then together they lower their hands to the bed, letting the shin out of their hands. 

The shin's bones break and a peach liquid marrow came up, covering the bones- it happened again and again and again. Until the bones became bigger.

Suddenly, nothing else mattered to Nightmare as he stares at the fully grow shin... or not, it seemed rather small still. 

Using his tentacles he lifts him up and held Nim up... and was very surprised. 

Nightmare had thought that Nim would look like Error, however, he had his silvery bones that seemed to glow. 

Nim finally opens his sockets and blinks at him, a pair of golden eyelights form. 

While Nightmare wanted to do what was standard practice for newborn shins and walks him around until he follows, he could not do this here... also he could feel his brother's burning questions aimed at him. 

'*how am i to get us out of here?' Nightmare thinks to himself as he realizes that he was sort of trapped. 


	15. Empire Silhouette

Everything was just like a dream...

After Nim had been born Dream had somehow talked him back into his 'normal' form.

The thing was that had not been his 'normal' for a long long time, spending more years surrounded by his darkness when without it.

And while he was willing to let his darkness go for the sake of Nim, it had been driving him crazy without it and was counting the days for when his offspring came out- at times he even wished it would come early and now felt a guilty over wishing for something like that.

Nightmare was once again with his darkness coving him and sitting in a warm bath- Dream had rushed out when he had removed his darkness and moments later, maids had come in and ushered him into the bathroom.

They offered him food and drink throughout the whole weird exchange- he wanted to kill them and possible Dream for making him have to go through this with these complete strangers commenting how beautiful his bones were.

Glancing down he stares at the little shin that lay on his sternum, feeding off of him.

The shin was about the size of a one-year-old human child, still way too small for a normal shin which was normally the size of a two or three-year-old human child.

Nim blinks at him, golden eyelights staring at him. It was then Nightmare notices the colour of his sockets, they were a peachy colour. There was also a slight flicker of white in his right eyelight and wondered if Nim was blind in that one.

"-such a lovely colour too! Just like the moonlight!" Came one of the maids that was wiping the sweat and grime off his shoulder blade.

If one more mentions anything about his bones, this bath would be filled with their blood soon.

'*endure it.' Nightmare told himself as he glares at the creatures going around him, 'if i go on a killing spree then i might not get out alive. this place is the heart of dream's world. and those morons will attack anything without question.'

Nightmare had reasoned that if Cross was willing to say that about 'the offspring of Nightmare' in such an unfeeling fashion, then these here would not care about his Nim either.

Suddenly the doors to the bathroom slam making him leap him out of the water, shielding his shin with both arms as he looks over ready to strike... it was a grinning Dream.

Coming up behind him were more stupid maids carrying what happened to be clothing items.

Dream had rushed to give Nightmare his oversized dressing grown since the darkness did not allow him to grow up, his brother did once he was freed from the stone, making Dream taller than him.

Now it seemed that he would be able to wear something a little more comfortable; when Dream had he was getting some clothes for him, he had shouted at his brother's running form to get him something similar to a classic Sans. Because Nightmare doubted that were was anything pure black in this place.

The maids start drying him- it was nothing special really, Nightmare had his own maids that did the same, at the request of his aides. He had grown used to it.

Of course, he never had this many, only having two personal maids that cared for his needs and another two that cleaned and tidied his room.

"*dream." Nightmare growls at him as he carefully steps over the edge, never letting go of the rattling shin who was staring around- he knew he should have already started making him walk now.

"*Br- I mean! Lady Pesadilla! I bring dresses!" Dream announces to him, making him frown, then he notices the purple and lilac dresses being placed to one side of the room.

"*i am not wearing those." Nightmare told him firmly, wandering over to his happy brother... he could feel the joy coming off of him in waves and it was becoming sickening.

"*Please leave us!" Dream told them maids and they all bowed low then quickly files out of the room, "Brother! I have already explained to everyone that had you had a Lady! And that you need to return to your universes."

Dream gives him a sorrowful expression then.

"*i already told you i am not staying." Nightmare snarls at him, walking over to the dresses and eyeing them up, "i have a life of my own now. one that does not include you."

Nightmare feels his brother's pain and grins then hisses darkly at the long dresses.

"*The dresses are nice right." Dream says to him looking down at the lilac dress that puffed out. Even the shoulders were puffy.

"*no." Nightmare snaps at him, he reached over with one hand and grabs Dream's by the neck and drags him close, "the only reason you are not dead is because i need to escape. i will rethink my plan if you pull anything else that is stupid. do you understand?"

Dream nods his skulls, his cheeks flushed brightly causing Nightmare to still- for one moment the creature of darkness thought that the creature of light was going to lean over and kiss him.

Shaking his skull he moves back and turns to the dresses once more.

Then looks to Nim in his arms, who had now had his fill and was blinking at him... shins were meant to learn to walk before they fed, however, he could not bring himself to lower to him to the floor.

"Nightmare here." Dream's kind voice broke through his thoughts, turning he sees his brother holding out a basket with a navy blanket with golden stars inside.

Glancing down he notices his little Nim was yawning, so he moves forward and gently places the shin inside. Then Dream went to one side and rested the basket on a counter.

Nightmare follows over and starts at his offspring, seeing that his son was sleeping, he looks to Dream who seemed to want to say something- he paid no mind to his brother and looks to the dresses no longer wanting to stand around naked as the day he was formed.

Nightmare digs through the dresses tossing most carelessly to the floor, his brother did not have any fashion sense it seemed.

Then Nightmare pauses.

There was a purple dress with yellow running through it- Error had always liked to make many different styles of clothing, this included dresses, he remembered what kind of dress this was called:

Empire Silhouette.

It was a rich purple, which was normally the colour for royal, fitted bodice which ended below the bust- under the bust was yellow which was embroidered with moons and stars patterns. The same patterns were around the low neckline and hem at the very bottom.

Below the bust the 'skirt' was long, falling down to the floor. It was loose and yet would fix his form perfectly.

The sleeves were just small rounded puffs, that started at the head of the humerus and fell down over three inches. This was embroidered with that same yellow.

Around the back was a yellow bow that just below the shoulder blades and two ribbons fell from it, almost touching the floor.

"*Brother! Do you like this one?" Dream questions hopefully, looking very pleased with himself.

"*it is better than all the others." Nightmare admits as he looks to the fluffy, puffy and feathery dresses, all different shapes and sizes, "i shall wear this one."

*Need any help Brother?" Dream says happily, his grin spread so wide that Nightmare almost thought it might break.

*no. i can dress myself." Nightmare told him, then glances over to Nim, "did you find anything for him to wear?"

Dream glances towards the little shin, smiling brightly.

"*so yes! i managed to get matching clothes for any dress you happened to wear!" Dream cries out in delight, rushes over to a weaved bag and pulls down a baby grove that was the same purple in colour with a yellow stripe going around the middle.

Nightmare nods him and went to dress Nim first and then pauses...

"*brother. you shall dress him." Nightmare told the golden skeleton who turns to him with a look of disbelief which quickly changes to a joyful expression.

"*Yes Brother!" Dream says happily, hurries over to the shin and carefully lifting him up, all under the watchful eye of a paranoid mother.

After a moment, Nightmare turns and slides the dress on, it was well fitted to him and half wondered if he should change his gender in order to fill out the upper part and allow his body to curve at the hips.

It was not something skeletons needed, they had a thick layer of magic, unseen by the naked eye- it was this layer that gave skeletons shapes under their articles of clothing.

Over the many hundreds of years adapting to creatures with the two genders, skeletons cast their shape to let others just what lay beneath. This, of course, became part of their core code later down the line and whenever skeleton changed their genders, their shape would go along with it.

Nightmare summons his magic and forces his body to once again adorn the gender of a female.

Hearing a delighted gasp, Nightmare turns to see Dream holding Nim close to him.

"*nim needs to learn to walk. is there any place we can do that?" Nightmare questions, he was not blind to know he was trapped and that his offspring needed to learn this basic thing or else risk him not walking at all.

"*Yes! Sci's office!" Dream declares happily, moving over to him, "Nightmare you have no idea how happy I am! To be able to speak your you in such a manner! For you to listen and hear my voice!"

"*no. i know." Nightmare told him holding out his arms to take the shin off of him, Dream steps forwards.

Nim was awake again and blinking around, on seeing Nightmare he held out his arms for him to hold. Once in Nightmare arms, he looks to Dream and blinks, then held out his little arms for the golden skeleton to take.

Dream tilts his skull and gives his brother a quick look, he came back and took the shin, carefully holding him close. Nim stares at Dream and then looks to Nightmare and once again, held out his arms for him to hold.

Nightmare smiles at this display and steps forwards, taking his offspring back- this time Dream steps closer and held onto Nightmare's elbow so that he was close to the mother and son.

Nightmare growls but Dream gives him a cheeky smile.

"*This way he is near us both," Dream explains with a bold grin, "And look! He is happy!"

Nightmare glances down and sure enough, his shin was delighted to be near the pair; he kept looking to one to the other.

"*whatever. let us go." Nightmare growls out darkly, then starts walking; he hated the fact that Dream was taller than him and realizes that if he wanted to grow, he would need to cast off his darkness more often. 


	16. Princess of Darkness!

The stares had been unbearable.

And everyone was mumbling as they had passed by.

That name which Dream had given him, Lady Pesadilla, was being mentioned as he went. Some even called him a princess- this was on doubt because of Dream being a 'king' to the Under Starlight universe, even though he firmly denies it- Nightmare was guessing that they viewed him as Dream's future mate.

And Dream seemed so proud walking along with side him- spine straight, shoulders back, ribs stuck out, chin raised high, his steps in time with Nightmare. And then there was that confident smile on his jaws and powerful glow in his orbits.

Nightmare was not going to lie to himself, he could feel a different sort of power while walking with Dream. It was like they was always meant to have been like this...

Nightmare was so grateful when they finally reached Sci's labs; the talk of being a princess was getting on his nerves- he was a king! 

The King of Darkness! Not the Princess of Darkness!

Sci has done a lot of tests, while they waited for the results, Nightmare had held onto his dress and walked around the room until Nim wobbles behind him.

Nim was unsteady on his feet.

While this happened Nightmare began to curse Cross for his irresponsible behaviour on stealing a brewing skeleton from their rest, forcing them with them and almost killing his son by fighting with him.

Dream had merely smiled the whole time, claiming that Cross would be dealt with.

"*Brother." Dream says suddenly, making the slivery skeleton turn to the golden one, "Thank you."

"*for what?" Nightmare questions looking at him oddly, he had just walked around complaining loudly all his woes.

"*For telling me these things." Dream says with a bitter smile now playing on his jaws, "When we were younger. You would never tell me everything. You kept it all inside and let it stew them."

Dream pauses and glances up to Nightmare staring at him with large tears pouring from his sockets.

"*You thought-" Dream chokes out and coughs before continues on, " You thought that I was too young or nieve for me to handle what the townfolks did to you..."

Dream lets out a broken sob, he brings up his hands while lower his skull down and covers his face.

"You did not let me know..." Dream utters into his hands, his voice pained, "...even when it was hurting you so much... even when you were breaking inside. And I did not notice a thing...."

Nightmare kneels down and picks up Nim, he went over and sat next to his brother- he no longer knew how to deal with a crying Dream.

It was a shock to see just how much he had changed in the last two years... before he would not willingly be in the same room as Dream without trying to kill him. Even would have laughed at his brother's despair that was dwelling within.

Suddenly Sci came through a shortcut with a clipboard in hand, making the apple brothers sit up- Dream quickly wipes his sockets and cheeks.

"*welp. little nim is a little bit unhealthy at the moment. lady pesadilla." Sci told them right away, "lacking in some metals in her bones. and a couple of other things she'll need."

Nightmare felt dread in his own bones, '*i'll kill him. i'll chase cross to the ends of the multiverse if i have to.'

"*i can supply you with a capsule containing everything." Sci went on to explain with a small smile, "of course. she is too young to take it herself. so ya the one who needs to take it and it will pass onto her."

Nightmare nods his skull however, he could not help but feel worried over her.

"*lady pesadilla. no need to worry." Sci says kindly, leaning back in his seat relaxed and grabbing a pen from his chest pocket, he began writing things down, "this is common for shins who don't complete their brewing stage. ya daughter will be fine."

Nightmare suddenly looked up sharply making Dream glance to him, wondering what was wrong.

"*did you just say 'daughter'?" Nightmare states plainly, staring Sci right in the sockets, "i thought all skeletons were born male. and became female later."

*oh. yeah. that's because she did not finish." Sci explains with a grin as he waves a hand at the shin that was looking at him, who quickly hides her face, "ya see. while brewing. all shins start off female. and are female the whole way through. in the final parts. however. they become male."

Nightmare glances down at his son- no daughter, who blinks at him those golden eyelights stare at him with complete trust. Then she smiles and he felt his darkness stir within him, the desire to protect his offspring came to him. 

"*nim. princess nim." Nightmare utters softly and lovingly, he brings a hand up and gently strokes his daughter's cheeks, vowing to care for her, always.


	17. Let Me Be With You!

The creature of darkness sat giving the air in front of him a death glare- after the surprise of his shin being 'female', rare for a skeleton to be born like this- his mind began to bubble over as all the wrongdoings of Cross and the damage he had done to his spring felt him into a fit of rage. 

Nightmare had handed Nim over to Dream and stalked around the room like a caged lion. 

The once more started to relate all that Cross had done- from stealing a brewing skeleton from his bed, forced him to jump from a high tower, had him run around town with barely anything on in the middle of a chilly night. 

His complaints were nothing new, he had already told this to Dream earlier- yet the ill health of his shin was something else that fuelled his rage, his darkness. 

Nightmare could feel the darkness without, crying out for blood... the need to kill...

However, he had learnt to overcome this.

"*dream." Nightmare hisses to his brother who turns to him, "give me nim."

Dream stands and carefully hands the smiling shin over, who giggles into her mother's arms, making Nightmare smile softly, almost forgetting all the bad and injustice towards them, as he sat down in his seat once more. 

Those golden eyelights seemed to twinkle and glimmer as she smiles at him.

"*dream. _brother_." Nightmare says again with time more calmly, glancing, he sees the beaming face of Dream, "will you help me? help me leave this place."

Dream frowns deeply, his smile drops. 

"*Brother can't you stay here? With me?" Dream questions him quickly, looking over to where Sci sat and where he could 'not' hear anything, "I can take care of you now! Look at all I have built! This could be your's Brother! _Please_ Brother! Let us go back!"

Dream spreads his arms wide as if showing off the labs to him. 

"*dream." Nightmare says with a heavy sigh, he stands up again then stares him right into the sockets, "do you really think we go back to how we used to be?"

"*...I hoped we could." Dream admits sadly, lowering his arms and letting them flop by his side. 

"*time changes." Nightmare told him cuddling Nim to his chest, the giggling shin was rattling at him, no doubt wanting to walk about, "we are something that once was and yet never will be again. time changes. we grow. learn and finally. we move forward." 

The creature of darkness that was like a pure silvery skeleton, continues to stare at his brother, the creature of light, the golden skeleton with a piercing gaze. 

"*we can no longer walk down the same path." Nightmare continues on, having no pity for his brother, "i have to walk alone. without you."

"*We were born as one." Dream speaks up tears filling his orbits, moving forever and holding out his arms like to grab him, it was a silent plea one that was turned away, "we _should_ walk as one. Live as one! And die as one!"

"*dream. do you really think that i can come here and live with you?" Nightmare questions him with a deep frown, "do you know just how many monsters want my dust? want my boys' dust? the moment the realize just who i am. they will turn on me. just like before."

Dream lowers his skull bringing his hands close to his chest and shutting his sockets tightly.

"*But I built this place for you." Dream tells him as he slowly opens his sockets, "Everything I have done, it was for you. And only you."

Nightmare frowns, he could not believe this. Dream focused all of his attention on his followers and their wellbeing. It was a little hard to think that Dream really had done this for him. 

"*i have a life of my own now." Nightmare told him firmly, he glances down at his daughter, "and i have someone to care for. who needs me." he looks back up to Dream, "brother. you no longer need me by your side. you can walk by yourself. with the love and support of loved ones."

The apple brothers stare at each other silently for a moment. 

"*...Brother... _you_ are my loved one as well." Dream told him softly, looking sorrowful, "And even if it is not the same as before. I want us to return. I love you, Nightmare."

Nightmare listens to his brother's words and nods, taking them into his heart and letting them sink in. 

"*perhaps one day." Nightmare utters softly, yet Dream must have heard because he let out a delighted gasp, "however. that one day. is not today. brother. help me return to my home with my shin."

Dream stares at Nightmare and then at Nim, finally he nods, "*I shall help you Brother."

"*good. since i'm sure my boys will be here soon." Nightmare told him grimly, "i'm surprised they have not attacked your walls yet."

Suddenly a blob of something purple drops from the ceiling, causing Nightmare to leapt from his seat- Dream came right to him and pull him into his arms, the little shin between them.

Then a larger blob fell to the ground with a loud splat and soon it lost its colour and Ink stood in its place. 

"*Hi everyone!" Ink cries out cheerfully, looking to Dream, Nightmare, Sci and then back to Dream, "you never believe what's just happened!"

"*Another universe cluster gone?" Dream asks stepping away from Nightmare, who looked ready to kill.

The Nim started rattling loudly, crying silent tears, as she clung onto her mother. 

Nightmare quickly turns his back on both Dream and Ink- as Nim cries tiny little glitches flickered over her form- these began taking the shapes like butterflies; white, blue, yellow and purple ones.

Nightmare rocks her gently in his arms, singing an old song.

Then the doors slam open revealing Blue and Cross, both came marching in. 

"*Oh good! You came quick!" Ink says in an excited tone, his eyelights glowing yellow. 

One look at Cross and Nightmare growls while stepping back shielding his shin from sight. 

The Star Sanses came together and began to chat, with Cross sort of just standing off to one side, seemingly half-listening while staring at Nightmare. 

"*What do you mean another Destroyer!" Dream cries out in alarm, causing Nightmare to stare in shock. He was not the only one, Blue, Cross and even Sci looked shocked at this news. Ink just grins boldly, clearly enjoy the whole thing. 


	18. The Damsel

The room was in complete silence for about half an hour, all taking in what this meant. 

"*The Destroyer has not been around in years!" Blue said keeping his voice steady and in control. It was amazing to see the change in this Sans. 

"*Where was this Destroyer sighted?" Cross demands at Ink, raising him high for some reason, then glances to Nightmare, who looks away in angry. 

"*Haha! Calm down! I'll reveal all!" Ink announces with a bold grin. 

"*Should we inform the Star Warriors before we move out!?" Blue yells over at the sound of chatting, the Star Sanses fell silent once more and looks at each other. 

"*We can deal with it!" Ink told them with confidence while grinning boldly. 

"*take me home." Nightmare snaps at his brother, completely disregarding the others. 

Dream comes over and wraps his arm around Nightmare's shoulders, then lead him out of earshot of the others. Then came around to face him. 

"*I am sorry Nightmare," Dream says to him firmly, "I need to learn more about this, it is important."

"*oh?" Nightmare breaths out coming closer to Dream and says in a low voice, "more important than me?" he stares at his brother, from this distance, he could even kiss him, "mmm."

Nightmare pulls away and looks over at the others in the room, Blue and Ink were chattering, Sci was tapping away at his computer and Cross was watching him like some lovesick fool.

"*Sci please return the Lady to the bedchambers." Dream calls out as he turns and hurries over the other side of the room, to join his friends. 

Nightmare watches as Dream pauses to gaze over at Cross, then looks back at Nightmare and to Cross. Dream went over and took him up the upper arm and then drags him away.

'*are they still together?" Nightmare wonders as he glancing down at his little princess who smiles at the attention, he smiles slightly, but the horror of having Cross as his brother-in-law played on his mind. 

"*My Lady!" Dream shouts loudly from across the room, "You will be here when I return! Yes?"

"*that depends?" Nightmare answers with a smirk, closing his right eye to mimic the darkness that normally surrounds him. 

Dream appeared worried for a moment, then turning he leaves in a great big flash of light. 

The only creatures left in the room was Nightmare, Nim and Sci. 

Nightmare looks to Nim, her strange glitches were gone. 

"*want me to take ya to ya bed?" Sci questions with a small lazy smile. 

Nightmare did not return that smile, just turning his skull away from him. 

"*lead me. or find someone else to do it." Nightmare snaps at him and then there was a rumble- it was so large of a quake that he had to stick his arm to gain his balance, holding his tightly but gently in his arms.

Nim rattles loudly, hiding her face into his dress.

It had rocked books off the shelves, papers off desk, chairs and plant pots fell to the floor. As the room shook and the windows crack slightly, he felt the raise in fear from all monster close by after it had ended.

Made him feel stronger. 

"*what was that?" Sci questions loudly, he was holding onto his desk. He let go and gazes around, then he quickly rushes over to a large computer screen where a strange keyboard was in front, then began using it. 

"*a quake." Nightmare told him plainly, then frowns deeply, watching the screen come on, there was a lot of different charts and graphs coming up, "do you not have quakes in this place?"

"*no never." Sci answers him with a frown too, looking slightly worried, "the guardians have left. and ya here."

"*yes. dream never thought of that." Nightmare told him with a smug grin, "did he really think. that my followers would sit there and take this insult?"

"*no. but dream has left his protective guards here." Sci says grimly, he came away from the screen and sat down on a seat, he took out his phone from his subspace and started clicking buttons at great speed, "that quake was someone forces their way on. according to this report. it's some of ya followers...however..."

"*...how did they break through. right?" Nightmare finishes as he raises his shin up, the 'glitches' had gone, she had tears in her sockets and she had her little arms out, wanting to hug more. 

Nightmare brings up close once more, stroking her skull to calm his daughter. 

"*i think they had help." Sci told him with a sudden snort of laughter, which made Nightmare turn and stare at him, the scientist fear and panic had faded quickly, "under starlight has five strong walls. and none of ya followers has that kind of power."

Nightmare did not confirm nor deny this and merely looks towards the door. 

"*i'll be in that room dream as given me." Nightmare says with a hint of amusement as the fear in this whole area rose once more. 

The doors opened as he reached it, revealing two monsters that no doubt meant to guard him. They bow low as he came nearer. The slivery skeleton eyes these two up.

A Tale Undyne and a Fell Undyne, both looking serious. 

'*how did they get through.' Nightmare thinks to himself as he walks out of the door, the two guards had risen and began to follow, 'the only ally i had that could do such a thing. was error.'

Nightmare glances down at his daughter, who had pulled herself up and was looking over her shoulder. Pausing he turns and looks behind- the air seemed strange.

A loud alarm sounded making the guards gasp. 

"My Lady, we must hurry to your chambers." Undyne cries out coming forward, "there's an inner part to your room where you can remain hidden."

"*is that so." Nightmare answers in a bored manner, then he smiles sweetly, "however. i have just given birth. and very tired. i doubt i can hurry."

"Please excuse me then My Lady!" The Fell Undyne suddenly says as she steps forward, bends down and lifts him off of his feet. 

Nightmare growls darky, he was becoming weary of playing the damsel in distress. 

"*tell me. have you ever faced your worst nightmare?" Nightmare questions with a kind and gentle voice. 

"...No.." The Fell Undyne answers but was not really paying attention, too busy moving quickly down the hallways with the other fish monster at her side.

Nightmare's grin became insane and his eyelights glowed brightly, making the pair of fish monsters fall to the hard tiled ground, shaking with terror.

Nightmare had not fallen with them, in fact, he was in the same position he had been when the Undyne had been carrying him in. 

Two of his tentacles had emerged from him, reaching the floor and becoming for him like a seat to lean into, the other two wiggles wildly around him. 

With a pleased smile, he gazes at the guards, both had lost themselves to their worst nightmares and was crying out- their tears had become black. 

Slowly he rose and the tentacles lower him until his feet touch the ground. Then he grins like mad towards the left, where three monsters had hidden. 

Nightmare rocks his precious daughter as his darkness once more covers his form- Nim did not seem to mind, in fact, she began happily playing with it. 

Nightmare chuckles at this and then faces the hidden monsters. 

Even in a dress, Nightmare was a fearful creature. 


	19. Curiosity

Nightmare wanders down the grand hallways, dusting any monster he came across, taking them completely unaware of the sudden attack. 

It was all thanks to Dream really- if his brother had at least warmed his followers that he was Nightmare, then he would not have the element of surprise in his favour. 

The distance screams inform him that something was happening beyond the walls of this palace. 

Nightmare pauses, then using two of his tentacles, rips the dress, all the way up the right leg, revealing his bones there. He had his darkness for cover, so it was not like anyone would think much off of it. 

Still, it was not proper for a king to show much bone. 

Nightmare heard felt something- by the way had Nim turned and looks in that direction, she felt it too. 

"*shall we see what my brother has been playing at?" Nightmare asks rubbing the shin's cheek gently, "if i remember from that map that was in that lobby area. then that way is the private labs."

The place where Nightmare had come from was the main labs. The private labs that were marked on the map seemed to be much smaller. 

Nightmare hears the sound of marching feet so darts closer to the wall and melt in the shadows.

Soldiers march down the long hallway, it seemed to take forever before they went past the place where he once stood and continued on. The soldiers' marching band was quite big too, Nightmare rolls his eyelight at the time that went by. 

At last, he watches the backs of the final soldiers leaving his sight and he steps out of the shadows. 

Nightmare knew he was pushing his luck; Dream and the Star Sanses, his Star Warriors and the Dream Team had all left the universe in order to deal with this new Destroyer. It was only a matter of time before he was discovered or Dream returned and sounded the alarm. 

And he was sure that the soldiers were marching not towards the gateway that leads to where the new Destroyer was, it was clear that the universe was under attack. 

His Boys or Knights as everyone was now calling them, was coming to collect him, so going deeper in the palace to this private labs might not be the best plan; he should head towards the walls and wait for them to come crashing down. 

But... Nightmare really wanted to know what his brother was up to...

"*okay. let us go there." Nightmare says with a small smile as he plays with his daughter's tiny hands with one of his tentacles, he kept bringing it down and just as she went to grab it, pulled it back, she let out a delighted laugh every time she misses. 

Nightmare decides it best to move faster so melts into the shadows and zooms along the walls- if anyone had looked, all they would see was a black shadow passing and it would be too quick for them to fully grasp that something had been there. 

Nightmare comes off of the wall and peers down a long narrow corridor, that came off the large hallway, he would have missed if he had not been looking. 

Red, blue and yellow runes lined the while floor, walls and ceiling. 

So from here, he would have to walk.

Stepping forward he felt the magic backlash enter him, he shut his eye against the flash of pain- then it stopped. 

Slowly opening his eye, he glances around, there were little butterflies flickering around him; gazing down he sees Nim looking at him, ready to cry, slightly bigger butterfly glitches of gold, purple and blue, covered her form. 

Calming his little shin, he starts to walk down the corridor, confident that Nim could protect them. She already seemed to have a lot of magic and for a shin to be able to use magic was not normal. 

The dark creature stood out the metal door- that strange feeling had grown stronger. 

The metal door was reinforced and had a magic seal on the outside. Somebody did not want anyone inside this place. 

Nightmare reaches up a tentacle, then a loud boom shook the corridor he was in, almost given him a heart attack, he had thought that the runes had blown up for a moment. 

Growling darkly he brings another tentacle up and shoots them both at the metal door, the butterfly glitches surround him had followed these and dispelled the runes. 

The metal screeches as he tears them apart, then he threw two pieces to one side and enters quickly. 

It was just a place while walled room with pale blue tile flooring. There was a single table in the centre that looked like was bolted to the floor. 

Other than that... there was nothing. 

"*this can not be just it." Nightmare exclaims darkly, glaring at the unseen foe who dared trick him into thinking this was a lab. 

Nightmare pauses to think, he was not stupid. He knew that the marking on the map had been a rune too, allowing only monsters of a certain power level was able to see it. 

And he was guessing some of the runes in the corridor had made monsters turn a blind eye to this place. 

Then there was that feeling. 

It was itching at his SOUL and he really wanted to find out just what it was, there might never he a chance like this again. 

Another loud boom sounded and he wonders just what his Boys w- Knights, he had to remember to refer to them as Knights; what were his Knights doing to make such loud noises and almost rocking the place?

Nightmare quickly goes to the table and studies it, searching for any kind of runes. Suddenly the smaller butterflies move away from him and went over to the far wall, opposite the door. 

It flickers over a small area which made Nightmare go over them- the butterflies had shown him a single rune. 

A slow grin spreads across his feature, then he uses his tentacles and slammed them against the wall. 


	20. Download

It was hot. 

Unbelievably hot. 

Like walking into an oven, hot. 

The air was dry and this worried the creature of darkness. 

Glancing down he notices that his offspring did not seem bothered over the temperature of the large room. Nim was just taking in the new sights with a smile, along with a giggle occasionally which made his dark cold SOUL swirl with emotions.

Nightmare knew that he was already deeply in love with his shin, he never thought he would have this kind of motherly bond that came the moment he laid his eye on her- he always felt that it would be a kind of friendship bond, something akin with the ERROR. And he knew that he would do everything she asked of him. 

As Nightmare travels deeper into this strange place, he noticed the clear transparent pipes that lined the walls and ceilings, had running water through them. 

Walking through some large metal door he frowns at the even larger room which seemed to have the floor missing and platforms going across the ceiling. Going further into the room, he came onto a landing which overlooked the floor below. 

It appeared to be a garden nursery. 

'*why would this be here?' Nightmare thinks as he tries to determine the reason for the trouble of hiding this place. 

With one swift movement, he leaps over the railing and falls downwards. 

Nim giggles all the way down. 

Nightmare barely felt the impact when he reaches the floor below on his knees, he merely rose up and studies the saplings- some were older in one row and younger in the next. 

Being this near the Dark Apple Brother felt it. 

These were of his Tree. 

Rage boils deep in his SOUL, his darkness began spreading over his heart and mind, Nightmare st-

Nightmare pauses, his darkness rippers downwards. 

Glancing to down he sees his little princess staring at him with sad orbits. 

"*sorry my little nim." Nightmare spoke softly to her, the shin smiles brightly in return. 

Nightmare turns his attention back to the issue at hand. With a 'nightmare' there should be no way a 'dream' could possibly grow these.

"*as error always told me." Nightmare growls out his friend's name, feeling a sense of loss even if he had been reborn in Nim's form, he starts to move forward, searching for an office or filing room, "more data is needed."

Nightmare likes ancient magic over science, while Error had liked science over ancient magic. 

Both involved intent study, research and reading. Which what the two friends had had in common at first. Later, other shared interests came along and even when something did not match up, they still listened to which other. 

Nightmare was starting to understand that he may never have another friendship as he had with the ERROR, no one could merely replace him. Not even Nim, since she was going to grow up with different life's experience and not become the friend he once knew and loved. 

Nightmare frowns when he remembers Error taken 'samples' one time, then halts at the saplings. 

Living things could not go into subspaces, meaning he would have to carry them- using his tentacles he takes a couple and was careful not to crush them. 

Then he moves along; Nightmare was trying not to think about it... but there was only one reason for Dream to be growing these. 

Dream was trying to 'RESET' Dream Tale and to do that he needed a 'nightmare'. So which was it? Since he needed a 'nightmare' to grow these. 

Nightmare frowns deeply, his thoughts now beginning to go around in circles since it did not make any sense. 

To grow the saplings he needed a 'nightmare' yet if he had a 'nightmare' there would be no need to grow the saplings. 

And so many. 

Nightmare knew. 

Like Reaper Tale, Dream Tale was one of a kind in each Multiverse, since the ERROR explained one day that there was more than one Multiverse- one of the golden laws of Dream Tale was; there should only be one Tree. 

It was one of the many reasons they had to guard the Apples since someone could try and come along and grow one... if they somehow... gotten their hands on either Nightmare and Dream's... magic...

  
Suddenly he realizes, Dream had taken his magic. 

With all the fighting they have done over the years, his blood had spilt on the ground numerous times. Error always claimed that science could do untold things. 

Nightmare growls out in hatred and rage. 

Then he spots a door off to one side of the large room, he quickly hurries over to it. 

A loud booming came from overhead, it rocked the whole area almost making him fall if not for him catching himself. 

Nim rattles in fear and cuddles up to him. 

"*what is happening up there?" Nightmare growls out darkly, glaring at the ceiling, "are they trying to make ruins out the palace? ..."

It suddenly came to him that this was what they were doing. 

His Gloom and Doom Boys or Knights no longer thought like Sanses, they did not take a step back and overthink anything, they just did. 

And with no leader to direct them, they must have just charged in. 

'*no. they have rotten.' Nightmare thought to himself as he enters the door, he grins at the room, it looked like a filing room. There were also computers on one side of the room. 

And if there is one thing he had learnt from Error was, always backup your data. The scientists of this place no doubt would do the same. So all he needed was to find something to store the data on.

Nightmare hurries over to the computers... he did not know who to turn it on. 

With a low growl, he places Nim on the desk with the computers and tries to find the switch. 

The room shook slightly, dust from the ceiling lightly fell down- it was further away than before. 

"*where is this blasted switch?! how do you turn it on!" Nightmare cries out in dismay ready to punch the machine in hopes that it would turn on that way. 

Suddenly all the screens flickered on making the dark creature jump in surprise. 

With a deep frown, he moves closer. 

On the centre of the screen was a red butterfly, it looked like it was caught in a blue web, this web filled the screen. 

Turning his skull quickly, he looks to Nim. 

His daughter was sitting in front of a screen, her sockets glowing red with tiny little windows appearing and disappearing within seconds. 

The screen changes and many windows appeared, then a buzzing was heard- turning Nightmare sees a tiny square thing appear being carried by a robotic hand and connect into one of the holes. 

It left fast. 

Then the screen changes once more. 

It was a download. 

All files of Dream's private lab was being downloaded... into what he did not know, he could see no places where a floppy disk could go into. 

Nightmare looks to Nim, then goes over to her. Wondering if the ERROR was alive and aware, or was she doing something similar to muscle memory; it was something Error did every time he found data he wanted to collect. 

A loud crash from nearby made him curl around his daughter but did not touch her in fear it may scare her in the dazed state she was in. 

Somewhere he heard the sound of feet, he looks to the door he left open and grins when Killer come marching in. 

On seeing his King Killer hurries over and came to stand by his side, not seeing the little shin that was being shielded by his form. 

Soon the rest of his Gloom and Doom Knights entered, all coming to stand around him like a bone wall, all waiting for commands. 

The creature of darkness grins boldly. 

"*destroy all those saplings outside of this room." Nightmare growls at them, with that they vanished from his sight, save for one. 

Killer stood guard. 


	21. Forward

Nightmare held the tiny box in his hand, Killer knew more about computers and he confirmed that all of the data was within it. 

Despite this place being surrounded by water pipes, it had been set ablaze by his Knights. A different kind of heat filled the air now. 

Nightmare shields his daughter with his tentacle, he had not revealed her to his Knights yet and they most likely thought he was protecting his key, though they never questioned why his darkness had returned- if he told them now that his key had been damaged by Cross, they might do something crazy, they had no longer any time for that. 

Dream had reentered the universe and no doubt along with his Star Warriors and the Dream Team. 

"*time to go." Nightmare calls over to them, his Gloom and Doom Knights came encircled him and kept this pattern as they passed through the flames, moving as one. 

It felt like a lifetime walking through the fire, the flames licking his bones, bright fire blinded him with its light while some dark smoke would cloud his vision. 

When they made it through and into the long corridor where he paused, causing everyone else to stop; Nightmare, at last, opens his tentacles enough to see his little Nim. 

Nim was sound asleep, completely unaware of the happenings surrounding her. 

Nightmare wanted to keep it that way.

Nightmare glances over to Killer who was standing on his tiptoes in order to look over to see if the key was unharmed. 

"*we are leaving. dream is coming." Nightmare explains in a hurried tone, coving his daughter once more. 

Killer nods and the group start moving once more. 

"*there's a gateway near here." Killer spoke up from Nightmare's right side, his sockets were dripping with the hatred that bubbles deep in his SOUL, he was playing with his knife, ready to kill anything that came their way.

"*it's a forced one!" Dust calls to him with an insane laugh, who was at the back, "we found one of those things cross had! and boom!"

Horror who was in front of them laughs loudly. Red Rum who had come and was walking on his left, agrees with a snort. 

"*it will take us to unknown au." Killer continues on, grinning to his King, "we'll be able to get home from there."

Nightmare frowns, his SOULs swirls at that word.

Home. 

It was something he had never had since leaving his universe, sure he settled down in different places, built strongholds and castles under his name. 

...there was no place he really thought as 'home'.

Yet, he was thinking the same as Killer, that universe, that place had become his- their home. 

And a band of outcast and misfits had gathered together all now having one goal. 

To live. 

To have a 'happy ending'.

At least, that was how Nightmare was viewing it now. 

"*... _there's no such thing as a 'happy ending'."_ Error sad words haunt his memories, _"only 'to be continues' heh. so let's continue on forward. 'mare."_

"*yes. let's continue on forward. to our home." Nightmare agrees with Killer and the ghost of Error; he smiles softly at the little shin snuggle against him. 


	22. Goodbye

The Nega-Monsters had left the labs behind and were running through the main palace. The Star Warriors had come. 

They were running. 

Nightmare had somehow ended up in Dust's arms bridal style while Killer and Horror swung their weapons around- it may seem like they were doing so wildly, however, the pair's aim always was true and strike their enemies. 

Red Rum had gone into the shadows, it was rare for him to fight on this large of a scale, so he kept the shadows and was alerting them of whoever came their way. 

Currently, he had run away to see if the gateway was clear of their foes. 

Suddenly Nightmare was thrown upwards, his sockets widen when he came down, he normally needed to prepare himself whenever he jumped from high places. 

However, he lands safely in Horror's arms.

Nightmare turns to Dust in rage, only to see him with his arms above his skull, bones just able to project himself for that oncoming attack. 

Dust bent his knees slightly and then pushes back with all his might, sending those warriors onto their back, where the murderous Sans summoned bones from the floor. 

They slowly began moving through the battle, the enemies never realizing that they were moving to the Gloom and Doom Knight's pattern and leaning to the place they wanted to go. 

Horror ducks low to the ground, then skull butts the warrior on the chin, knocking them down, where he stamps hard on their chest plate, breaking it. The warrior cries out in pain. 

Then Nightmare was airborne once more, making him growl darkly. 

Instead of nearing the floor like last time, Killer caught him midair, making them fall towards a wall. On reaching the metal wall, he stuck one foot and bounces off of it.

This sent them sailing overhead of many warriors that had come their way, making it almost seem like they were floating. Until gravity took over and Killer planted a foot upon a warrior's helmet head, then jumps from head to head. 

Nightmare glances behind them, Horror and Dust were doing the same. Horror was burying his axe into the creatures' heads as he passed. Some turned to dust, others, that were humans, dropped to the ground heavily. 

Dust was laughing like a maniac, he had his Gaster Blaster out hovering just behind his shoulders as he went along, and was firing at any who tried to raise their weapons. 

At last, they came outside the palace, in some kind of rose garden, filled with yellow and purple roses. 

Suddenly he felt him.

Nightmare glances up from Killer's arms as they continued to run through the pleasant scented area. 

Dream was standing on the rooftop, watching as they tried hard to escape. 

Then Nightmare did something he had not done since he had started getting bullied by the dwellers of his homeworld- he opens his mind to is brother. 

~* _dream. if you truly love me. let me go.~_ Nightmare bushes against his brother's mind- he could feel the surprise and also delight through their connection. 

~* _Brother. Please._ ~ Dream begs him hopefully, ~ _Come back! Let me protect you this time_!~ 

~* _it is too late for that. much too late._ ~ Nightmare told him softly, in their own minds, his voice returned to that haunting tone. 

For a long period of time, Dream fell silent. 

Then the warriors all began to back away and rush to the palace. It was clear that a retreat had been ordered.

~* _...I understand... I shall leave you. For now._ ~ Dream told him gently through their mind link, ~ _I love you. So much Brother. Farewell._ ~

Nightmare did not return those words, no matter how much he found that he actually wanted to. 

~* _goodbye brother._ ~ Nightmare says as low as he could and cut the connection off once more. 

Killer slows to a stop, turns and bends down and places Nightmare to his feet. 

"*they have retreated. it is time we did the same." Nightmare told his Knights, he marches towards a beaming light that was dimming with each second.

The King had his skull held high, his shoulders back and chest out- or though, his tentacles were all coming around his front, protecting his tiny shin. Together they move forward into that light. 


	23. HP

Nightmare woke up in his own bed thankfully, his window had been fixed before he had returned- the guards around his tower had more than doubled. 

Slowly sitting him up just stares off into space for a moment. 

Then reaches down to his centre... and touches the air. 

A sudden spike of fear rushes through him causing his darkness to cover his bones in a matter of seconds. Glancing down he stares at the lost key... and then the events of the week prior came back to him. 

Nightmare glances to his side curled up there was his little Nim, who was still sound asleep.

A sigh of relief escapes his jaws and then a soft smile. 

His princess was the image of him in bones... yet those bright yellow eyelights that had speckles of gold, clearly from Dream. And those peach colour sockets, a watered-down version of Error's red ones perhaps. And what he was now calling butterfly glitches, which came and went if Nim was upset or even overly happy. 

The strange thing about it, they reacted to certain things. The butterflies could travel a short distance away from Nim's form and interact with it, such as turning on the computers or the microwave as Horror discovered when he was making a snack. 

Nightmare did not think Nim was aware she was doing this, nor did it seem to drain her magic. Another trait of Error. 

Emotion good or bad did not harm her, though she clearly was aware of these. Nim would cry when someone was sad inside and rejoice over someone who was happy inside. 

Nightmare uses his tentacles to carefully scoop his daughter up and hold her close to him, the gentle pulse of her healthy SOUL could be felt. 

Doc, the mad Sci, had confirmed what Sci said about her coming out a too early- shins first blasting made them about the size of human toddlers but Nim was the size of a human baby of about a year old. 

It was a 50/50 per cent chance of Nim regaining memories of Error, if she ever did, Cross would no doubt be in big troule. Error used to love being slightly taller than normal Sanses and would even lord it over Ink with great glee. 

There was a chance that Nim's height would correct itself during the next blasting into becoming a skelly. 

Another thing Doc explain to him about Nim, her states was high for a shin. And she could use magic outside of basic needs. 

Nim's HP was 144, her AT 98, her DF 90, her MP, 220. 

Shins and indeed most monsters, was born with 20 HP and it slowly rose when they grew up or did certain training. 

But fact that Nim had this much power at such as young age, meant that she was going to grow to be stronger than both Nightmare and Dream combined. 

The ERROR himself did not know his own states since they had been too glitched to read. 

Nightmare opens the orbits he did not remember closes, then stares down at the sweet little shin in his hold, now staring up at him with a loving trustful gaze. 

Nightmare had also been rocking her gently. 

With a grin he raises himself up and walks across the bed, he could hear his maids moving around, ready to come in and help him and Nim had ready for the day. 

The maids entered his chambers. 

Nightmare thinks back to when he returned ... home.

His home. Nim's home. His Boys home. 

The monsters, the nega-monsters had given a might cheer ever when they saw their kind, even with him being concealed in his darkness. 

Then everything moved very quickly. 

Nightmare was ushed back to the castle, Doc checked him over and was surprised to see Nim there. Nightmare entrusted Doc, who loved Error dearly, with his daughter, knowing that he would not harm the former Destroyer's SOUL. 

Calling for the Gloom and Doom Knights to come to him, Nightmare opens a portal to some universes and told them had he needed to have some negative energy and that they needed to cause as much chaos as they could. 

Nightmare's Knights were clearly confused because they had just come back from Dream's universe, yet they did not disobey him and followed him through. 

Before they could do anything he asked them all to sit down in front of him, opening to different portals behind their backs with different universes. Told them to go through after hearing what he had to say. 

Nightmare explained to them... everything that had happened, of course, they went mad and he pushes them into the universes until they ran out of steam. 

It took three days, during that time Nightmare got to bond with his new daughter. 

Also got a lot of official paperwork done in order to Knight his Boys in front of all his subjects. Everyone was looking forward to it and there was a grand celebration that was being held throughout the lands. 

It also took their minds off the unpleasant event. 

Of course, Nightmare was dealing with another matter. There was a dirty traitor in their midst. 

Nightmare had Rotten draw up a list of all the soldiers that were on duty that night. Which one was being questioned in secret.

Nightmare steps back from the maids and glances to the full-length mirror, he wore clothes fit for a king. Turning he glances at his daughter who was standing by the mirror patting at the glass, wearing a sweet little yellow and black dress. 

Nim did this every time she saw herself, as she was in awe with her own appearance each time. 

Nightmare smiles, reaches down with his tentacle he lifts her up and carries her along and he heads to set around their busy day.


	24. Titles

Nightmare sat at his desk, skull down and writing, next to him he played with Nim with two of his tentacles. With another one of his tentacles, he was stamping documents that he had already proofread and approved of. And with his last tentacle, he was holding the pouting Killer in the air.

"*i already said no." Nightmare snaps at his First Knight without even looking up, "cross will be dealt with on my own time. for now. set your mind on the worms that are in our home."

Killer pouts some more. 

Horror and Dust sat on sofa chairs that were in front of his main desk, facing each other with a coffee table in the centre. 

A little giggle filled the air and Killer settles for a moment. 

All the Gloom and Doom Knights loved their princess, they would kill for her without mercy. And none was happy with Cross, even after they let their rage loose they stilled demanded dust. 

So had most of his subjects too. 

"*your knighthood ceremony is coming up in a few months." Nightmare went on speaking still not looking up, smirking evilly, "like you kept saying with me 'let the people see ya face'. right? i have been playing this game of king. now it is time you play your role as knights."

Nightmare continues writing, humming softly now. 

None of them spoke, just staring at each other. 

"*any more news on this new destroyer?" Nightmare suddenly spoke out darkly, his features shifting into something out of a horror movie. 

"*none." Dust answers grimly, glaring at something unseen over his shoulder, making Nightmare who had been staring out of top of his eye at him, frown.

It had been a long time since Dust had saw the ghost of his brother, all the built-up stress over the past couple of months must be taken its toll on them.

Ever while Nim's smile seemed to wash away their woes, they all were troubled deep down. And the thought of having someone that might be able to harm their princess on the inside, cut them all deep. 

"*i'll make sure you are all so busy that you will not have time to dwell on such things." Nightmare says in a low tone so that none could hear. 

Straightening up in the chair he finally pauses from his work and looks at them all. 

"*after your knighthoods you will be given a fief. with not only the title 'knight' but 'duke' each." Nightmare told them seriously, they all looked at him frowning, "you each go to your fief and reside there for a time. do not worry about the happenings in the castle. everything is being sorted."

When his Knights said nothing to this, he lowers Killer to the floor and nods to the door.

"*now all of you go." Nightmare says darkly, then looks to the coffee table, “and take your weapons too! i do not need those laying around here!”


	25. Order

Nightmare had felt like a proud father all the time during the ceremony of the knighthood of his Boys. 

It was shown on screens that went across his negaverse, letting all his subject view this most special event. 

Not only did they get their knighthood, Nightmare announced their other title of dukes. 

The creature of darkness went on to give Doc and Rotten titles of marquis. As well as other monsters who had proven their worth of titles such as earl, baron and a couple more knights. 

Nightmare watches from his throne Killer dance with Nash, a dust outer Sans who had proven his worth during the time Nightmare had been kidnapped- Nash had earned a knighthood. 

Horror with a farmer tale Sans called Pumpkin, who had gained the title earl for his many good services in their agriculture and produce. 

Dust danced with many monsters, laughing like mad as he spun around them during the evening. In the end, he seemed to settle on dancing with a swap Sans called Cleaver. 

Suddenly someone was standing behind his throne. 

"*why are you here?" Nightmare growls darkly in the lowest of voice, he did not want anyone alert to the intruder, "do you have a death wish?"

They never spoke, merely stood silently behind him. 

"*a more fitting question would. how did you get in?" Nightmare asks feeling his rage bubbling within him, his darkness moves faster on his form, showing how displeased he was, "you took a big risk coming here. what did you hope to gain from it?"

Nightmare sighs heavily, he glances around at all his subjects, wondering if anyone had noticed. 

The silence the went on behind him only made him grow angrier. 

"*this is not the best time." Nightmare snarls out, "leave. do not ruin this moment for me."

A few moments passed and they left. 

Nightmare really did not want to do this...

"*killer." Nightmare spoke through the shadows, causing his First Knight to pause his dance and set back from his dance partner, "leave the room through the second left door. follow the intruder. do not bring them harm. let them leave. i wish to only find the hole they managed to get in through."

Killer bows down low towards Nightmare's throne and vanishes from sight. 

Nightmare turns his attention to his nap, Nim was currently playing with a doll of Nightmare, made by Error himself... the mega-glitch had made dolls of each other them. 

With a smile, he rose up taking his daughter with him, then nods to the head stewards, showing he was leaving for the night. 

The steward quickly stepped forward and made a loud announcement that their king was retiring for the night. 

Everyone in the hall turns and bows low as he melts into the shadows and moves to his office rather than his bedroom, waiting for news from Killer. 

Killer stepped out from the shadow, grinning boldly and the sleeve of his new tailored uniform covered in blood.

"*i said 'no harm'." Nightmare snaps as he took a seat around his desk, placing his little Nim in the tiny basket that was upon the desktop, "did you forget or did you just ignore it?"

Nightmare rolls his eyelight because, by Killer's proud expression, he had ignored it. 


	26. Family Matters

Killer had managed to wound the intruder, he did not see who it was thanks to them being covered from head to toe in a white cloak and their magic was sealed. 

Nightmare's First Knight also found a wormhole close to the gateway in the main castle- Error used to call these backdoors. 

Nightmare glances over to his daughter where she was playing with Horror, completely fine with how he looks, which he had been nervous of. 

Then the creature of darkness turns his gaze back to Rotten who was giving the reports of the guards in the castle and castle town. No one seemed to cause a rise of alarm, everyone loved their king. 

Suddenly Mould who was leaning against the wall, slide down rather fast, just as an axe smashes upon the wall where his skull had once been, embedding itself there. 

"*ill throw an axe at you." Horror growls at Mould, making Nightmare frown. Rotten looked ready to kill Horror there and then. 

"*you have already done that." Nightmare snaps out loudly, not happy with his knight's behaviour towards his royal guard's brother, who was a hard worker- that was the only issue with having insane followers, stupid things could set them off. 

Nightmare looks to Rotten who seemed looked like he was going to attack Horror. The dark creature then returns his gaze to the horror Sans had his daughter held to his chest, his shoulder hunched forward and arms across. 

Everything about Horror screams protection towards Nim and it was Mould who triggered this reaction. 

"*rotten." Nightmare says with a heavy sigh, shaking his skull, "leave for now. and come back when horror is not being an idiot."

Rotten bows low but does not say anything, instead, he spins around on his heels and walks across the room, giving a hand signal for Mould to follow as he went.

Nightmare went over to Horror, watching the two swap fell brothers closing the door behind them. 

Tentacles reach out to the broken skeleton as soon as they did, Horror uncurls himself and frees Nim from his arms, handing her over to her mother.

"*and why did you do that?" Nightmare questions with a deadly hiss, releasing himself from his darkness revealing his silvery bones like his daugther's. 

"*don't like the way he was looking." Horror answers with a low growl, he turns and glares at the door where the pair left. 

"*looking? who was and at who?" Nightmare asks softly, his haunting voice filling the room, yet this seemed to have a calming effect on Horror- Nightmare's job was to support the lost and broken SOULs, to be a bright full moon in the deep darkness, guiding them through until they reached happiness... he never really got to do his work, he had been young and still learning.

"*at you. and the princess. mould. that dog was staring at ya both like he wanted to turn ya into mincemeat." Horror explains in his rough voice, breaking Nightmare out of his own dark thought; Horror held his hand over his neck, looking to Nim who was watching on from her mother's arms. 

Horror tries to keep his voice like a normal Sans around Nim, however, years of not eating had meant his magic cut back on certain things to keep his SOUL alive. His voice had been one of those things. 

"*is that is?" Nightmare growls out in his haunting voice, he had now mastered how to make others quake in fear when out of his darkness. 

Nightmare knew just how loyal Rotten was to him, proved it many times. Mould, on the other hand, was only loyal toward Rotten. 

"*killer." Nightmare summons his most loyal follower, who must have dropped whatever he had been doing to portal to him because he was all muddy, "i want you, red rum and doc on a new assignment."

Killer nods his understanding and awaits his commands. 

"*subject: mould. code: platinum." Nightmare told him darkly, he watches his First Knight's expression darken. 

After Nightmare kidnapping, he had sat down and decided to make sure everyone knew what to do and how to do it. They also had training days once every few months in order to keep it in their minds. 

And each of his Knights had codes for other things too. 

Killer bows low, the liquid hate that dwelled within him started to flow and pour from his sockets. 

When his Knight rose, Nightmare reaches gentle wipes it away, leaving his hand on his cheek. 

"*keep your mind focus." Nightmare tells him kindly, smiling softly, "keep your senses. do not lose yourself. remember we need you."

Nim mimics her mother and reaches up, wiping the 'tears' away and cupping his cheek on the other side. 

A slow smile came across Killer's jaws, he nods at this and Nightmare lets go and steps back. 

Killer turns and vanishes.

Nightmare then went over to Horror and sat down next to him, sitting Nim on his knee he smiles at the broken skeleton. 

"*you have done well. your keen for bloodlust in others. may have saved us." Nightmare says him just as kindly as he spoke with Killer, "horror. lift your skull high. you are a proud member of my knights. always remember you are also needed here with us."

Nightmare smiles when he sees Horror lift his skull up and smile brightly at them. 

"*why are you go to the kitchen and get something to eat." Nightmare speaks to him, smiling along with him, Nim giggles and waves her hands. 

"*heh. ok. bye king. bye princess." Horror replies as he stands, he then shortcuts away. 

Nightmare pushes on his feet and leans into one of the sofas that were in front of his desk, wiggling his finger in front of Nim's nose. Nim quickly caught it and started playing with it. 

Nightmare's mind drifts back into the past. 

"* _nightmare. have ya ever thought about treating them kindly?_ " The ERROR questions as he sews a strange piece of cloth.

"* _kindly? my minions? ha! do not make me laugh!_ " Nightmare says with a bark of dark laughter, " _of what gain does that give to me? is this some kind of crazy joke?_ "

"*. _..something ya always wanted deep down._ " Error answers with his voice glitching, lowering his project to his lap, looking to Nightmare and went on to say, " _acceptance. loyal friends. a loving family._ " 

Nightmare had fallen silence but his darkness was shaking around him. 

"* _there is no magic or blood between us. how can we be family?_ " Nightmare snaps at the ERROR, his voice dripping with hate, glaring darkly as if he had just met his greatest foe. 

"* _do you really need to have magic between you to be family?_ " Error continues on, frowning slightly as he turns back to his project and picks it back up- suddenly the ERROR glitches and gives him a mocking smile, " _also. there is another thing. i heard that if ya workers are happy. they work improves!_ " 

Nightmare snorts loudly at the memory...he had taken the ERROR's words to heart and began calling his 'minions' his 'followers' and then settled on 'boys'. He had treated them with kindness, helped them and even rewarded their fine works. 

This did not happen overnight, it happened over the course of many years. When he first gathered these ones together they would barely stay in the same room together without trying to kill each other. So he left them in their universes and called them when he needed them. 

It was only when Dream discovered his Boys' universes did he ask the ERROR to get him a couple of strongholds for him and had them live under the same roof yet on different sides. 

Nightmare smiles as he remembered the first speck of joy that appeared one day when he was with his Boys. 

And now they were his Knights. 

Nim looks to his daughter, who looks to him with those golden eyelights and then yawns loudly. 

"*i will never let you face what i had to endure." Nightmare tells her softly, "i will also never let you face all that your old self had to endure. you will be loved and protected always."

Nim just smiles at him happily. 


	27. Carry On

Nightmare walks down to the long narrow corridor with Red Rum behind him- he was about to introduce the Fell Sans to the mad Sci Sans named Doc. 

Because Doc hated meeting new creatures and hardly came out, Red Rum had only seen Doc at a distance, however, now they would be working together. 

Doc had a lab that was deep under the castle. 

Claiming that he wanted to build an army lizardmen, which was monster that vanished from his world when the great war between monster and human started. 

Nightmare went through a wooden door, holding Nim's skull as he ducks down as not to hit his own skull- his daughter was asleep, draped over his left shoulder. 

Unlike most shins who follower their mother around, Nim refuses to walk, wanting to be carried. Doc had told him that there was nothing wrong with her legs and that she should be able to walk on her own... she just would not. 

Nightmare did not mind, nor did anyone else who he handed over to when he was dealing with a matter.

...also he had seen Nim walk for herself. 

Nightmare had been sitting in the living room, reading a book on a single sofa, with was surrounded with two three-seater sofas that faced a fireplace; in the centre of the sofas a coffee table would normally be, but he had removed that; thus Nim playing on the floor in front of him, one of his Knights had left some chocolate on the other seat. 

Out of the corner of his eye he had noticed her keep standing and sitting, which he had seen before. It seemed that each time he turned slightly to stare her way, she would sit back down. 

Nightmare then 'focused' on his book and watched in utter amazement as Nim stood, walked over to where the chocolate was and swallowed it down with many tounges- he did not have time to count. 

Then she happily walked back over and started playing once more. 

Nightmare did not know what to make of his daughter's display- he pretended in front of her not to know, he was beginning to think that she was starting to understand words. 

Nightmare came to be in a small cold damp room and sat on a low wooden low that looked ready to collapse. The stone walls around him were covered in green moss and cobwebs. 

Red Rum stood behind on his right side, with his arms crossed over his chest, staring at the one Nightmare had come to see. 

In front of Nightmare was the smiling Doc sitting on the same kind of stool, seeming very pleased about something. 

For the past few months, Doc had been working on the data he had gotten from Dream's lab and studying the couple of saplings he had taken.

"*greetings my king." Doc says with a bold grin, then looking to Red Rum, "i trust you know who i am?"

"*yeah." Red Rum spoke up roughly, glaring at the scientist, "ya the loop who has all the lizards who lives downstairs! ya dumb lizards keep escaping! my quarters are about ya air vents and they keep coming in!"

Doc blinks stunned and then just laughs loudly. 

It took a few moments for him to gather himself. 

"*so you are the one who keeps leaving those angry notes on my pets." Doc responses with a bold grin, looking very happy now, "those made my day. thanks."

Red Rum grumbles under his breath and looks away. 

Nightmare coughs loudly, getting their attention. 

They both gave a low bow. 

"*let us begin. shall me?" Nightmare says with a hint of a smile twisting on his jaws. 

With that said the three started their meeting. 


	28. Sounds of Loyal

It was another day at the office, his Knights all had their own duties now and yet they all gathered together at a certain time of the day and just sat around each other. 

Nightmare glances up. 

His main group had double in number. 

Killer had declared Nash as his mate, the pair made a deadly couple- Nightmare overheard them talking one day, it seems that Killer wanted offspring in order that they could be their princess's knights. 

Horror and Pumpkin had begun living together after the farmer Sans told everyone that he was brewing; there was already a skeleton key. Doc used a special device that allowed him to peer through the key, something that could not be done in the past- it was through that Pumpkin was brewing eight shins. 

Sugar, Horror's brother, Spice, Pumpkin's brother, also had that they had gotten together and Sugar was brewing, with five shins. 

The Horror-Farm Clan was growing fast...

Red Rum was now apart of his main little group, he had been working alongside Doc for a few weeks and was clearly in love at this point. And he could not admit it... Doc found the whole thing funny and just sat and watched as Red Rum says to him when bringing a gift: "* _it's not like a like ya or anything!"_

However, Doc had been leaving his lab more and more, not spending his time working to the bone and actually enjoying life.

Killer and Nash stood off in the deep shadows to one side, both glancing at a piece of paper together. 

Horror was on one of the sofas with Pumpkin; as the farmer went through some paperwork concerning their kingdom's food stock, the horror Sans hugged him. 

Red Rum with his arms crossed and sitting up straight, alongside the overly relaxed Doc, these too were sitting opposite the pair that was so in love that Nightmare could almost see little hearts floating around them. 

Dust...

Dust was late, very late. 

So late that soon everyone would be going off to their next meeting, even if it did involve every one there. 

Suddenly the door bursts open and hit against the wall so hard it bounces back- Nim who had been sitting inside Nightmare's hood behind his skull, had jumped slightly. Nightmare glares at him. 

"*hey! it turns out i'm a badass!" Dust announces loudly as soon as he strolls through the door, looking very proud.

Everyone merely stares at him and then went back to what they were going. 

"*hey!!!" Dust shouts loudly, his sockets glowing a bright red in his angry, "don't ya want to know!"

"*come and sit down dust." Nightmare calls back to him, pointing to the seat in the middle of Red Rum and Doc- the pair sat on either side of the three-seater sofa that was similar to the ones downstairs in the living room, "tell us your reason."

Dust quickly went over and sat down.

"*remember when ya got kidnapped?" Dust questions him brightly, making all of them glare at him, "and i fought for ya. while was not on the front lines at all time like Killer was. that swap sans saw me fighting and has been trying to stalk me!" 

"*swap blue? cleaver. yes." Nightmare hums out aloudly, then smiles as Nim climbs out of his hood and leans over his skull. Nightmare lifts his chin and looks at his daughter upside down.

Nightmare saw the butterflies and had learnt that the colours they become were based on Nim's moods. Green was happiness, purple was fear, white was normally a void, blank or emotionless, pink love, red angry and so forth. 

Whenever Nim saw Nightmare, tiny little green butterflies would give a quick flicker before setting.

It always made him smile. 

This like now, little butterflies flickers against him, almost like giving him gentle kisses. 

Nightmare brings his chin down and listens to the happy chatter has Dust explains his new mate to them. 

"*ok. that's enough." Nightmare calls over the voices of his knights, "this meeting shall take place here. as we have finally learnt the truth over the matter."

Nightmare turns to Killer and nods for him to come forward, he was the first out and was handing his negative emotions well. In fact, they all had gotten better controlling themselves. 

"*the 'mastermind' behind it all is mould." Killer hisses out darkly, the room had become still and deadly quiet, "it seems he wanted to make his brother king. had wanted to since his old world and he had trying to take down the queen there. because of this. he had been feeding information through to dream. and told the monsters lies who later passed this one to cross. we can confirm that he is plotting not only to kill our king. but also our princess."

Low monstrous growls came from the nega-monsters of the room. 

"*he still has the followers from his old world. all loyal to rotten." Killer went on glaring at the report that he had made himself, "in other words. they had not our nega-monsters. not our universe' dwellers. not our king's followers or subjects. they are our enemy. our foe is surrounding us while we sleep. planning our downfall. we won't let them get away with this. will we?! do you not agree that we have to do something about this!?"

The Knights of Nightmare rose to their feet- Horror summons his axe and beat the end of it against the floor, while Pumpkin tapped his feet in time with the beat. 

Nash claps, slow and loud- he had a death glare on his features. 

Red Rum left eyelight had glowed a fiery red, on see the other three making noises, he in a panic of wanting to fit in, stamped his feet also. A little faster than the beating but it added to the sound in a different way. 

Doc decides to claps loudly, unlike Nash's, his were quick and sharp sounding. 

Dust who had not sat down get stood in place and summons a long bone like a spear, then like Horror used the end to thump against the floor. 

Nim gives light little claps, not understanding, thinking this was all this a game. 

Nightmare grins as he looks to Killer; over the past couple of months, he had been refreshing Killer of the time he acted as the King's Aide when the brother of his universe became king. Killer would not remember most of everything that happened, just the intent he had for humans and monsters alike.

However, he was doing well. 

Nightmare stood up and his tentacles rose up, wiggling behind his back- this caused them all to fall silent and stare at their king. 

"*well then. let us begin." Nightmare says loudly, grinning happily at their display of loyally toward him and his little Nim, "red rum should have a list. yes."

"*heh. so that's what i was a doing. picking the traitors. should've told me boss." Red Rum answers with a bold proud smirk, reaching into his subspace he pulls out a blue notebook, looking a little tore from overuse. 

"*my apologies red rum." Nightmare says darkly, uses one of his tentacles to take off the Princess of the Negaverse from on top of his skull and brings her to his arms, "at that time. we did not know who to trust. however. by that point. you had already made a good name for yourself. and was worthy of the task."

Red Rum grins boldly, he turns to look at Doc in happiness and then quickly glares at the scientist turning away with a huff. Which only caused Doc to snicker. 

"*and now red rum." Nightmare spoke up, he turns to Nash and motions for him to go over, "hand over your findings. and we. together. shall work out a plan to deal with these ones."


	29. Over and Done

Within the grand throne room of the castle, the hall overcrowded with monsters all tied and bound, sitting on their knees- these monsters glared at the one seated on the throne at the head of the room. 

In front of the large group of monsters, was Mould, chained with his hands behind his back staring up at Nightmare who seat on that throne, in defiance; now and again the swap fell Papyrus would test the strength of the bonds.

Kneeling off to one side of Mould was Rotten, with his skull down low, visibly gritting his teeth and shaking slightly. With angry or fear only Nightmare knew. 

Either side of the throne stood Killer to the right and Dust to the left, both staring down at the traitor with pure hate in their sockets. 

Nightmare merely observed all of this with an unamused expression, almost appearing bored. Then the dark creature' eye shifts up and stares over the followers of Rotten- the hate that was bubbling in their SOULs was only making him stronger. 

Nash had just finished reading all the charges against Swap Fell Papyrus a few minutes ago, Mould, and of all the followers. They knew they were done for.

Rotten had a surprised look throughout which turned to disappointment halfway through, which then changes to him glaring at nothing as he realises the full weight of what this all meant for himself and his brother. 

Moments over the charges were laid out he begged Mould's pardon, daring to ask Nightmare to overlook his dog's bad behaviour. Rotten had given a passionate speech of how loyal he had been toward him. 

Then moments ago, fell silent. 

Nightmare felt that his Captain of the Royal Guard had a point. Rotten had displayed a rare kind of loyalty towards him. And he liked to repay loyalty with loyalty. 

However, the main problem was the followers. 

If it had just been Mould Nightmare would have been willing to overlook this once, to give Rotten his brother's life as a 'thank you' reward for his service towards him- it was not the first time one of Nightmare' followers had plotted to kill him... he had not had a beautiful daughter to worry about back then. 

The number of followers was much bigger than he had thought. 

Controlling one stray dog that would not raise a hand against his master was one thing, controlling a whole pack of wild dogs was another.

And now that they were caught they were not withholding their disfavour of not having their 'true' king ruling over them. It makes sense, these were the ones who was going to overthrown their queen of many years because they through she was withholding something good from then, yet, she was merely waiting for the right time to head to the surface. 

Also, many of the soldiers knew of this situation, again, had it been just Mould, he could have just taken Rotten to one side and inform him of his brother's dealings in so as to correct him. 

But they had needed the manpower to gather all the followers all in one night. 

The Swap Fell monsters had been of great use to Nightmare in building up his kingdom, they were one of the first universes had brought over and had fought for them. He had thought that these had cast off the name of Swap Fell dwellers and taken up the name 'dwellers of Negaverse'. 

Such a shame. 

"*after all that i have done for you." Nightmare spoke to the monsters behind Mould, "this is how you have chosen to repay me?"

Rotten lowers his skull, his orbits closed. 

"*rotten. i am guessing you want to die alongside your brother." Nightmare says as he rose up, Rotten looks to him quickly and then nods his skull 'yes'. 

Mould looks to his brother in shock disbelief. 

Nightmare knew the reason, it was so unlike Rotten not to fight to the death for their lives, something that Swap Sans normally did for their brother's sake. 

"*very well." Nightmare said with a heavy sigh of regret, "i will have to find a replacement for you..."

A sudden idea appears in mind. 

And a slow evil grin spreads across his jaws. 

"*all of you shall die at dawn!" Nightmare calls over the throne, his voice echoing loudly, "take them to the courtyard and bond them to stakes."

Nightmare slowly looks to Rotten, watching him intently. 

"*leave rotten behind." Nightmare said to Killer, making his First Knight stare at him with interest. 


	30. Loyalty

Rotten stares at Nightmare completely stunned. 

"*in other words..." Rotten finally spoke, looking to his King in a nervous way, "you want me to find another swap fell sans and papyrus. then have them die in our place. then pretend to be a new swap fell taking over my own role..."

"*that is correct." Nightmare answers with a nod, the way Rotten was behaving was a lot different than he had seen in normal Swap Sanses, however, that was what made him work for the dark creature, "you have until the morning. take your dog with you."

"*ok. i agree to these terms." Rotten said firmly, his former self seemingly raising from the ashes as he sat up tall. 

"*do not disappoint me. this is your one and only chance to live. if anything ever happens like this again. you shall die without hesitation." Nightmare told him as he melts into the shadows and reappears in his office.

"*GREETING KING! I AM THE MAGNIFICENT SANS! OR CLEAVER AS SOME HAVE COME TO CALL ME! I AM SO GLAD TO FINALLY MEET YOU!" A Swap Sans suddenly spoke up as soon as he sat down, Nightmare frowns at the blue coloured Sans who was standing beside Dust, something suddenly nagging at the corner of his mind. 

Nightmare looks to Killer who just walks out of the shadows, looking grim, he had wanted to kill Mould himself. 

"*killer... something is wrong here." Nightmare said suddenly, making everyone in the room frown at him, clearly on guard now. 

"*is it the princess? she is fine with doc and red rum." Horror said to him quickly to ease the worry from his king's mind, "i just come from there."

Nightmare had sent Horror down with Nim to Doc when the trial had happened, she had cried for the first hour but slept deeply after that.

"*no. rotten." Nightmare says staring at his desk, glaring hard at it, "there's something about him that suddenly- no." he pauses and looks to the Swap Sans in the room, "you. speak to me."

"*WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SAY MY KING?!" Cleaver answers smiling brightly but glances towards his new mate in slight worry. 

"*there it is." Nightmare hisses out darkly, pointing at him, then lowering his hand quickly he gives a deadly glare, "has rotten's words ever sounded like that. sanses all have lower cases. but swap sanses all have upper cases in their words."

Suddenly there was a strange silence in the room, everyone thinking hard, trying to remember.

"*...so what ya saying is..." Dust began to say but trails off, looking around at everyone else so if he was right.

"*-rotten is not a swap!" Killer growls out darkly, his hated starts to pour from his sockets, "i can't remember a time where he hadn't spoken like that!"

"*wait! so the swap fell sans was _swapped_ at some point?" Horror questions looking around in confusion. 

"*BEFORE OR AFTER HE CAME TO LIVE HERE?" Cleaver spoke up wanting to join in with this most important sounding topic. 

That made everyone pause once more. 

When had the switch taken place? 

"*get rotten to doc." Nightmare barks out at them, "there's a way to check the soul and tell what universe he hails from."

"*wouldn't he have been checked before?" Dust asks him quickly, looking at his king with a deep frown, "it would be on the records. we screen everyone that comes through."

"*no. rotten was in charge of the screening. only when there was a problem was the issue taken to me or doc." Nightmare explains in a hurried tone, then another thought entered into his mind and his eye widens, "rotten has just been freed. i freed him to prove his loyalty to me."

Killer, Dust and Horror left the room without a word; no doubt rushing to the gateway.

"*what a performance." Nightmare hisses out as he sat down at his seat, he was wondering if he should check on Nim but Horror said she was fine with Doc. 

Suddenly he notices the Swap Sans standing there, looking unsure of himself. 

"*cleaver was it. why don't you go home for the day? we can talk about and your mate later." Nightmare says knowing just how to deal with yandere characters, if he had not called Dust his mate then the moron might have attacked without much through. Nightmare understood this kind of thing and often forgive these kinds because they could not help their love and LV they had for their chosen mate. 

Cleaver smiles happily, turning he ran over to the door, opening it and closing it behind him, leaving the creature of darkness to his thoughts.


	31. Bribe

Nightmare held his daughter close to gentle rocking and lightly humming to her, she had her socket half-closed and kept yawning but fighting to keep awake. 

Nim had been like this ever since she came back from Doc, it had been the first time he had left her along with others, for such a long period of time. 

Things had not worked out with Rotten, they had fleed to another Swap Fell, however, jumped ship as soon as they did. The gateway had been messed with enough for him not to know where they went. 

At the moment Nightmare was trying to get a message to his brother to ask if Rotten had been a spy of his. But seemed unlikely, since Rotten's work had involved killing lots of creatures, there was no way he would willing back someone like that. 

Nightmare wondered if Mould had even known about that his 'brother' had been swapped, he highly doubted it. And in one of the records, Mould had claimed that his brother had was different since coming here. However, he felt this was not the case, it may have happened before the Negaverse was set up. 

The monsters had been executed and quickly replaced with copies of them, coming from a broken and glitched up Swap Fell universe and was not in a middle of planning a coup against their queen. 

These ones were more than willing to play the role and were currently being trained with the claim that they were going to get special training in a trade and leave their guard duties. 

There was a lot of concern amount his followers leaving the Royal Guard, which most of the Swap Fell monsters were. The subjects' worries were that another 'Cross' would get in. 

Nightmare addressed this speedily, claiming that their universes' walls had improved greatly and that more monsters that had a trade were needed. 

"*are you sleeping?" Nightmare asks softly, he was in his uncursed form, so his haunting voice sang out around the room. The reason was due to the fact he had been reaching out to Dream with his mind and needed his darkness to be off of him. 

Nim was sleeping the many butterflies that had been surrounding her, almost hiding her from view as she cried, had now calmed and he could see his daughter's silvery bones ones more. 

"*my king." Came Killer's voice, causing him to turn to see his loyal knight walking out of the shadows, "the new swap fell sans and papyrus are doing well. this sans is speaking in all caps. and is declaring how great he is. he was a little disheartened when his queen had to get left behind. the papyrus was needed payment in order to take on the role."

"*what kind of payment?" Nightmare growls out and then frowns when he sees Killer's smiling face, "quite you." he snaps quickly, his Knight still teased him now and again, then went on, "and that queen of that world... we can bring her and others along only after the role have been taken. we can say that the sans and papyrus of that world had already died."

Killer nods his skull at the words, he wrote in a notebook and then flips the pages back, "*payment...well. he says here: 'for me to get any sort of motivation i need to be bribed with pastries.'."

Nightmare sees Killer smirking and rolls his double purple eyelights to the heavens.

"*give him what he wants." Nightmare told him, then goes over his bed and carefully lays his little princess down and covers her up, he could still see the dry tear strains on her cheeks and wipes them gentle, "now leave. i only just have gotten her to sleep."


	32. Bad Ending

Nightmare's eye twitched. Nim was in his arms, gazes around, looking very happy at the whole thing they had come back to.

The Dark King stood in the main area of the log cabin he and his Boys, in a random universe, one where the monsters had reached the surface and had no walls- they thought that this kind of place no one would think them to come into so would overlook it.

Nightmare had thought a small holiday would do them some good after the last couple of months training and sorting out the Swap Fell issue, there was even a new lead on the old Rotten which the new Rotten was taking care of.

They also needed a break from the stressful task of trying to gather any information on the new Destroyer who was nothing like the ERROR.

This one went to universe to universe destroying without pause and completely at random; none of these universes had been on Error's list. Also, there were no survivors it happened to quickly for anyone to even have time to think.

It seemed that Dream and his followers were having an equally hard time, always coming much too late. It was announced that no place was safe and the Multiverse trembled in fear.

Last night Nightmare had gone out on his own, sleeping in an overly large tree with his daughter, pointing to the stars and explaining everything to her. To which Nim stared in awe and wonder the whole time- everything he had told her, was something Error himself had told him once upon a time.

Nightmare' eye twitches once more.

"* **i thought i told you all not to go overboard if you have a party.** " Nightmare growls at them and Killer, Dust, Horror and Red Rum were all on their knees in front of him, their skull bowed trying their best to look sorry, which did not work thanks to their jaws keep forming into smirks. Nightmare gazes at Killer who stood up and went forward.

"* **...can you start from the beginning?** " Nightmare growls darkly with his tentacles wiggling about with his annoyance behind him, "i need to know how your night ended with not only one. but two lions in the bathtub. glow in the dark silly string draping over the furniture and a frivolous amount of fruitcakes. no one in here even eats fruitcake!"

Killer opens his mouth to answer-

The whole world quaked sending them into the air a few inches and falling to the ground. Nightmare caught himself quickly then looks around, all his Knights were on their feet and surrounding him.

" ***red rum. go outside and check.** " Nightmare hisses to him, the Fell Sans nods and starts moving only to fall when the world quaked again.

Horror who was still learning how to deal with his new legs even after months of practice was having a harder time getting up now.

Nightmare uses his tentacle to lift him to his prosthetic legs.

The world flickers around them and he clings onto his daughter in worry. Raising a hand he quickly tries to open a portal.

" ***i can not open a-** " Nightmare was cut off when another quake happens, he looks to Nim who stared around without fear.

"*nightmare?" Killer questions quickly.

" ***use the e.r. portal.** " Nightmare says quickly, " **i can not open my portals.** "

The E.R Portal was the device that could use one powerful leap and send anyone anywhere, even in or out of a closed-off universe. Doc had managed to remake the one that Cross brought with him.

Killer was gone in a flash, running down the hall as fast as his legs could carry him; it was clear he had tried to shortcut to the room where the device was kept, however, this too appeared not to be working.

Nightmare rocks his daughter gently, comforting himself more than her since she was still looking around as if waiting for something to appear.

It did not take long for Killer to reappear at his side and hold out the device for him to take. Quickly grabbing it and pressing the button the device sent out a flash of light which faded.

" ***it is not working!** " Nightmare hisses out and uses his tentacles he opens the box-like device and his eye widens, a couple of wires had been cut, " **who has done this? do i have another traitor in my midst?** "

"*i'm sorry." Dust suddenly said loudly, shaking with fear, everyone turns to look at him, "i'm so sorry. he promised a reset if i helped. promised that i could go back to my brother!"

" ***who?!** " Nightmare roars at him, throwing the device to the floor and grabbing Dust with his tentacle, wrapping it around his neck, **"what in injustice have i done towards you to have you betray me is such a way? have i not treated you like my own?!** "

"*i'm not _your_ dust!" Dust cries out while coughing loudly, "i just wanted him back! wanted my brother back!"

" ***not my dust?** " Nightmare repeats and then the world quakes once more, " **when did you replace him.** "

"*ages ago! long long time ago!" Dust says crying now, "the more time i spent with you. the more i wanted to be your dust. i pretended i was. but he came back. and reminded me."Nightmare drops him to the group and stares at him for a moment.

" ***leave him be.** " Nightmare growls as Killer steps forward, " **if we live through this. i want answers. come.** "

With that, the Dark King steps back and turning heads for the front door where the two lions cowered down. Nightmare starts to walk by them not caring if these creatures die or not.

"*mama." Nim calls to him lightly tugging at his jacket, she points to the lions, "kitties. come. with."

Nightmare stops and looks to the oversized cats. Error had always liked cats.

Reaching out with his tentacles he grabs both the lions and holds them up in the air, then continues on. If he was going to live on, there was only one way out. The main gateway which was in the underground.

Nightmare steps outside with his Knights behind him and the traitor further back, then his eye widened at the blue sky above. It was not the normal blue. This was a deep royal blue. And it flickered red for a moment and then back to blue.

" ***we have to hurry.** " Nightmare says as he starts to run, the two lions did not even try and get out of his hold, almost like they knew their deaths were near and just accepted it.

The cabin was built in the forest next to the mountain of the monsters, there were many caves to get inside it too.

However, Nightmare had already guessed this was the new Destroyer and they were still very far away from the gateway, the likelihood of them escape was zero.

Nim was laughing at the 'kitties', reaching out trying to pet them while Nightmare tries to hold her still.

" ***nim my sweet shin. please stop moving.** " Nightmare begs lightly as he continues to run, Killer had gone in front of him at this point, cutting through the thick foliage allowing him to run through a clear path.

Horror kept at his rear while Red Rum was at his side.

Dust had rushed forward now, helping Killer.

The world flickered and the mountain vanishes from sight.

Nightmare and his Knights halt in their tracks.

The forest flickers around them- the trees were suddenly covered in red strings much thicker looking than the ERROR's blue ones.

Suddenly a figure appears in front of them, standing on a netting of red strings, looking down on them with a nasty look.

Blood seemed to be pouring out of the glitch, his form flickered and he seemed to be half melting.

Blue and red sockets narrowed at them and the glitching skeleton opens his bloody mouth and words came out no one could understand the lagging, static sounds that kept overlaying themselves.

Nightmare's Knights collapse around him, their sockets empty, nothing but glitching mess inside of them. That was when he notices that the red strings were covering the ground too, they had caught everyone's legs.

Nightmare gazes down at his own, they too were wrapped in strings.

Then he looks back up and sees that the new Destroyer was in front of him, a hand reaching out to him.

Nightmare fell to his knees, holding his daughter tightly, he forces himself to fall to his side rather than his front. Two heavy thumps let him know that the lions had hit the ground.

'*this is the end.' Nightmare thinks as his eye shut for what he thought was the final time, 'sorry nim. i really wanted to give you a good future.'


	33. Understanding Change

Nim stood next to her fallen mother, shaking him with her tiny hands as the world fades around them. 

"*mama. mama." Nim calls to him, yet Nightmare would not awaken. The darkness was slowly returning to his SOUL, revealing his silvery bones, his sockets empty, wide open and filled with nothing but red and blue glitches. Strange red tears began to fall from his sockets then and he began panting heavily. Glancing around quickly, she sees this is happening with the Knights as well. 

Slowly she looks back at her mother.

Nim let out a small cry, not understanding why suddenly her mother was not answering or what was happening to him. 

A sound made her turn, there was a distorted figure standing over them, strange red coming from their teeth and connected to their hands. 

For some reason, Nim felt like she had seen him monster before. 

"*mama won't wake up." Nim informs this strange one, her voice was starting to become a little like Nightmare's, a haunting tone, however, her one had a little echo behind each word. 

The glitching skeleton steps forward, bending down their place their string covered hands under her arms and lift her up. 

Nim looks into the red and blue sockets, numbers and words flicker lighting along with the glitches. 

"*are you lost?" Nim questions and they open their jaws and strange noises come out as they spoke, "brother? you lost your brother? mama told me that when i can't find something. to retrace my steps."

They spoke again. 

"*oh... want me to help find him?" Nim questions them, then looks down at her mother, "want to wake mama up first."

Nim rarely spoke, Nightmare seemed to know what she wanted before she even opened her jaws so there was never really any need. And any questions directed her way, he would answer.

"*mama." Nim calls lightly, leaning sideways in the stranger's hand, then straightening up staring at this one, "can you wake mama up?"

The stranger seemed to think for a moment, then shook their skull, frowning deeply. They spoke once more and Nim listens.

"*but why? mama knows a lot of monsters. perhaps he can help you find your brother." Nim told them with a smile, raising her arms up as if to show the large number of monsters he knew, "mama is very smart too! even if he doesn't know. he can help!"

They spoke and Nim listens with a smile which quickly drops. She held her hands over her 'ears' and her glitches started. 

"*no. you can't!" Nim shouts at them, tears forming in her sockets as the butterfly glitches spread over her form, " _ya can't_!"

The stranger seemed stunned by something and then looked at her more closely. Then as if seeing something on her, or rather, seeing something inside her; they smile happily and told her something. 

"*i'm _not_. i'm nim!" Nim told them firmly, however she was suddenly hugged tightly to the ERROR's chest, "i'm nim! ...i want mama... geno...?"

Nim blinks and then hugs him back, she was surprised that she knew his name. She knew this skeleton, he was something close to her... her SOUL seemed to sing with the nearest like it was a part of her... once upon a time... a _long_ time ago...

"* _geno_... _brother_." Nim says softly then pulling away slightly, she glances up at to see a happy ERROR who once more spoke to her, " _fatal_error? that's what you are now? we both changed? i'm sorry. because of me_..."

Nim began to cry bitter tears and Fatal_ERROR rocks her gently until she calms and her glitches settle. 

"*will mama wake up soon?" Nim says when her glitches settle fully, she looks down at her mother and then back up to her older brother, " _i'm confused. i feel like i'm in the wrong place. like i'm not meant to be here_."

Fatal_ERROR spoke to her, clearly trying to sound calm, yet it was not working with his broken voice. 

"*can you help mama. and the knights?" Nim asks with a small sob, "please big brother?"

Fatal_ERROR smiles at her and nods his skull. 

Strings wrap around all over them and a giant portal open beneath them, then the strings lowered them down into Nim's favourite universe. 

Outer Tale.

And yet, Nim was sure she had never been to this place. 

It was only last night that her mother allowed her to stay up well past her bedtime to watch the stars for the very first time. 

"*oh! my kitties too!" Nim cries out suddenly, pointing to the two lions that were getting left behind. 

Geno started at her for a long moment and then just grabbed them too, bringing them along.

"*i haven't named them yet." Nim told her brother with a smile, "want to help me?" 

The universe they just left was deleted as Fatal_ERROR left, closing the portal to a now blank space. 

Nim watches as her brother places them all gentle to the ground, then reaches out to her mother and began making a grabbing motion, so Geno brings Nightmare nearer to where he was and sat down on a rock. 

"*mama?" Nim calls out, she was sitting on her brother's lap and leaning all the way over in his arms, touching Nightmare's shoulder and patting it lightly. 

Nim saw that her mother's sockets were now shut, the red stuff that fell from his sockets had stopped and his breathing steady and even.

Geno starts speaking and lifts her back up so she was sitting on his lap properly, then asked what she wanted to name the lions. 

Nim looks up to her brother but pauses and looks passed his skull. A whole galaxy was drifting by, it was the most beautiful thing other than herself, that she had ever seen. 

"*brother! look up!" Nim cries out in joy, pointing above Geno's skull, "isn't it lovely?"

Geno gazes up and sort of jerks, then he just stares. 

The pair stare for ages at the stars above completely transfixed on them. 

"*oh! i have a good name for one." Nim suddenly says breaking her brother out of his trance, "luna!"

Geno looks down at her and stares at the lions. There were one male and one female. And then told her such. 

"*for the boy... solar?" Nim says unsure for a moment, then looking at Geno's smiling face grins and then hugs him, " _i missed you brother_!"

Nim blinks at her own words, not understanding the meaning behind them. 

How could she miss someone who she has never met?

Pulling back she frowns. 

"* _so ya the new destroyer_?" Nim said with a heavy sigh, staring at her brother with a sorrowful expression, " _i'm sorry. because of me ya like this. how did it happen geno_?"

Geno then began to tell his tale, while listening Nim could not help but cry throughout it. 

The bloody glitch, Geno of the SAVE SCREEN, learnt of the ERROR's death through DEATH. 

And went insane. 

The glitch tore at the walls of his prison, trying to find a way out without melting and found it. Someone saw him breaking down the walls and reached out grabbing him, where he found himself in the Anti-Void, it was here he was force-fed the data of the last ERROR causing him to change.

DEATH had been right- when one ERROR leaves another ERROR would take their place. 

Only Geno had been too wild to contain, the loss of his dear little brother and the constant cycle he was forced to watch and endure had thrown him into the deep end without a life jacket. So he did not listen to the Voices that guided him to which universes that needed to be cared for, instead he just went to any and every universe he came across without care. 

Only _one_ happy ending would exist, all he had to do was delete everything from Multiverse. 

Only one ending!

Nim raises herself up and hugs her brother closer, Geno was crying inside, she could hear his SOUL screaming out to her. 

And she wanted to fix it. 

Patch the broken data...

Nim pulls away and reaches for her orbits, running her fingers along the lower part. 

And strings came out causing her to blink.

In her right hand was golden strings, having a white glow coming off on them. 

In her left hand were deep purple strings, black wisps of power came off on them. 

Studying them for a moment, she looks back to her brother and saw him. And knew just what to do.

Nim smiles at him sweetly. 

"*brother. this may hurt a bit." Nim told him kindly, "struggle a little longer please."

Fatal_ERROR, Geno, Brother smiles back at her. 

  
  
  



	34. [insert title here]

Nightmare stalks nearer to the skeleton on his knees, his hands chained behind his back and his skull lowered to the ground. 

" ***oh. it shall not just stop there.** " Nightmare continues on, his darkness swirling around him making him appear like the 'monster' human portrays monsters as, " **i'll keep at it. until everyone you have ever loved is dust. and then. when i feel like it. which could be a few months or a few years-** "

Nightmare kneels down next to the skeleton, tilting his skull to looks under at him, then hisses at him. 

" **-i shall kill you too.** " Nightmare went on his dark negativity aura filling the room, causing the guards standing around to shake in fear, " **however. i shall only kill you. once you have had time to think about how _you_ are the reason why everyone you love is dead. unless. of course. you come to your senses and want to tell me what i wish to know. **"

Nightmare moves away and raises himself up staring down at the skeleton. 

" ***it is your choice.** " Nightmare finishes and turning around leaves the room through his shadows, reappearing in his office where Killer stood waiting for him. 

"*has dust told us anything?" Killer questions with a raised brow.

" ***no. his jaws are shut tight.** " Nightmare growls out enraged, his tentacles mirrored his mood by whirling around him, " **according to what doc reported when 'speaking' with him. this dust wants to be a part of our kingdom and wants his universe to come here too.** "

"*but he won't say who gave the orders. or where our dust is?" Killer hisses out darkly as black tarlike tears pour from his orbits.

" ***...not 'won't'...** " Nightmare says after a moments thought and calms down, " **perhaps. 'can't'."**

"*'can't'?" Killer repeats with a deep frown. 

" ***yes. do you remember a few hundred years ago.** " Nightmare began with a frown too, walking over to a wall which held large brown books on shelves, he pulls a couple off and walking to the centre, places them on the coffee table, " **there was a technique that kept a creature from speaking. if the moment they told. they would dust.** "

"*oh yeah." Killer says as he wipes his cheeks with his sleeves, "every powerful monster was forced to sign that peace treaty thing so no one would use it."

Nightmare nods, " ***a foul casting. no one wanted it done to anyone.** "

Nightmare knew that Dream sent spies into his domain at times and he too, used to send spies into Dream's domain. It was a little different for him now since the creature of darkness no longer had monsters to spare as they all worked on building up his kingdom. 

If someone used that technique an all-out war could break loose. 

" ***we need to find a way around that without killing this dust.** " Nightmare continues on grimly, " **if this is my brother's doing. then this means war.** "

War.

It was not something Nightmare wanted at this moment of time.

Nightmare turns to stare at his beloved daughter, who was sleeping on one of the lions she wanted to take home with her. 

The female lion had a purple ribbon around her neck and the male lion had a golden ribbon around his neck. The creatures had bonded with her, becoming her familiars. 

Nightmare had never seen a creature so young having familiars. 

Of course, there was the mystery of the new Destroyer. 

They had all awoken in Outer Tale with Nim humming sweetly as she stares at the stars beside him. His little treasure had looked overjoyed when she realized he was awake, she cried for a long time and would not leave his side for weeks. 

It was only over the last couple of days that she allowed him to leave the room without a fuss. 

Then there was the new Destroyer. 

Gone without a trace and Nim would not say anything about them. 

" ***we need to speak with dream.** " Nightmare growls out angrily, turning to his First Knight and staring at him with hard eyes, " **if someone is using that technique. then it is him we have to go to. he was the one who managed to dispel it last time. but we must tread carefully. also we must discover where our dust is being kept.** " 

Killer nods at the words of his King, everyone was worried now. 

Nightmare turns back to his daughter, Nim was awake now and staring at something on the wall. Walking over quickly he manages to catch sight of a glitching white portal, which looked similar to Error's and halts in his tracks out of shock. 


	35. Twitch

Nightmare's eye twitch. 

How did Fresh_VIRUS make his way into his 'secure' domain he did not know, what he did know was, he was going to kill the 90s freak. 

Nim had been so startled by the virus's sudden appearance that she had something like a crash. And Nightmare had been so surprised that he called Doc over for aid, who explained to him that it was a form of crashing only much lighter than the ERROR had. 

Nightmare really did not want to deal with the virus, he was having a hard time with his insane brother. 

It turned out that when the new Destroyer attacked them, Dream had felt that he was near death and had already started moving to attack all Nightmare's possible enemies in a fit of rage. 

Nightmare always thought that maybe Dream was a little unhinged but he was proving to be more and more as time went on- on visiting Dream for official meetings, he saw Dream screaming in fear at some apples that someone had left on a table.

Nightmare had no idea Dream had a fear of apples; if anyone should have a fear of apples it should be him. 

The meeting with Dream had gone well... other than Cross making a huge scene. He came crashing in demanding that Nightmare free the 'lovely female' and had to be dragged away by the Star Council's guards- Killer, who had been with him, had been snickering for days after.

Still, Dream did prove to have some useful information. There were three others who can perform the sealing contact. Anti-Virus, who Ink claims were Error's enemy, Epic Sans... he had not met with this Sans yet. And someone called Red Echo, which could or could be a group rather than a person. 

Nightmare gazes up, Fresh walks about freely...

"* _W_ anna have a sword fight with the baguettes?” Fresh questions the little shin who had gotten used to the colourful mess; the VIRUS hands over some baguettes and Nim laughs as she took one. 

Then the VIRUS and EX-ERROR began to swordfight. 

" ***ugh. how is it he keeps managing to get in?"** Nightmare growls darkly, glaring at the laughing VIRUS, " **he is lucky that nim seems to like him now.** "

Nim was happily running around the VIRUS hitting him with the baguette. And Fresh hit back and kept falling down when hit. 

Nightmare notices it again. A glitching white portal that reminded him of Error's old ones. It always seemed to hover around Nim for a little while and then vanish. 

Letting out a long sigh to calm himself, he moves towards the laughing pair. He was not liking what he was about to do.

" ***virus. i am going to get some work done.** " Nightmare calls over to the two who were still playing with the bread, both turn to him, " **can i trust you to care for my daughter?** " 

"*Huh? Oh. Sure. No worries." Fresh answers after a while with a huge grin spreading across his jaws, "I know a universe we can play in!" 

Nightmare's eye twitched. It had not been what he meant when he asked to look after Nim. However, he needed to watch them from afar. And the VIRUS was unpredictable, he should not correct him or else he might go wild.

Nightmare turns and looks to Killer who was standing in the shadows, then going over to him he casts a shadow of illusion over them both; this shielded them from the view of the VIRUS and his daughter. 

Nightmare and Killer went going and watched as the two continued to play. He dared not bring any more along with him since he did not know if they would get caught, it would be quicker with just himself and Killer. 

"*Oh yeah! Let's see if Big Bro wants to play too?" Fresh suddenly says as he throws the baguette going his shoulder. Nim drop her one on the coffee table not really sure what to do what it now. 

"* **'big bro'?** " Nightmare utters out as he watches the VIRUS lifts his princess up and open a colourful portal- quickly the creature of darkness rushes forward and his eye widens when he finds himself in the Anti-Void. 

Nightmare looks to Killer who looked stunned at this too. 

Then he sees movement, he felt a little pained in his SOUL when he notices his old friend's beanbag, that quickly got replaced by shock when he watches a strange figure stand from Error's old place. 

A bloody skeleton with white glitches all around. 

"*brother!" Nim calls out holding her arms up and giggling in delight, then glitch smiles softly and reaches out for her, taking her out of Fresh's arms he hugs her tightly. 

"*hello error." Came a soft glitching soft, Nightmare felt shock rush through him, "welcome home."

"*error?" Nim says in confusion, blinking and then frowning, "nim is nim."

"*of course." The stranger says kindly, "nim is nim. but nim is also error. my dear little brother." 

Nim blinks but says nothing instead she hugs onto him tightly. 

"*And don't forget!" Fresh spoke up, coming close to Nim, "You're my big brother!"

Nim blinks and then smiles at him.

"*i'm a big brother?" Nim says in a dreamy voice, "do you think that mama will have more offspring? i want a little brother to play with."

Nightmare again felt shook hit him. Nim wanted a little brother!

Fresh looks to the strange bloody skeleton with a grin and the bloody glitch shook his skull. 

"*Big Bro Geno has a kid you can play with." Fresh told her with a bold grin, "Maybe we can bring him here?"

"*goth is a skeleton. he is just frozen looking like a skully." The one Nightmare now knew as 'Geno' said with a huff, "and i doubt he would come out to play with nim. she much younger than him."

"*Geno! Then you can have another kid!" Fresh spoke as if this solved all the problems. 

Geno turned red in the face and suddenly the sound of static filled the air, much like Error's old noise he made wherever he went. 

"*Uh oh! Geno is becoming Fatal_ERROR again!" Fresh says with a laugh as he takes Nim could of the glitch's arms and runs away, "Run! Run! The new Destroyer is on the loose!!"

Nim giggles as she watches the scene unfold. Nightmare felt fear run down his spine when he sees the glitch become an ERROR. 

"*big brother!" Nim calls over the sound of static, "we want to go to a universe! ya can't go like that!"

And then it was over and Geno returned to his bloody form in the blink of an eye. 

Nightmare watched stunned as all this took place. 

"*come on then." Geno utters out softly, giving the grinning Fresh a death glare before holding his arms out to take the shin once more, "i know one i think you'll enjoy."

Nightmare follows silently- he was interested in the new ERROR that had been clearly interacting with his daughter for some time. It would explain the little portal that kept appearing. 

Something had been nagging at him through the whole exchange- then Nightmare realized what it was. This was the most he had heard his own daughter speak. 

**'*does nim not want to talk to her mama?'** Nightmare wonders to him sadly as he moves through the new portal with Killer speedily. 


	36. Play

All they did was play. 

Nightmare watches silently through the day exchange, his daughter was so happy with the Fresh_VIRUS and this new Destroyer, called Geno or Fatal_ERROR. 

When Nim was feeding some ducks in the park, he had heard Geno talking with the virus, saying that it was getting harder and harder for him to stay in his Geno form and might keep to Fatal_ERROR. 

Nightmare hums in heard, wondering if he should make a new alliance with this new Destroyer. 

He clearly loved the old ERROR and his little Nim. 

Nightmare raises his gaze when he sees Nim returning with Fresh, Geno was seated waiting for them. They had been stopped many times on the street, asking if the bloody glitch was ok.

"*i went and bought these bubbles." Nim announces with a proud smile, she held up a bubble pot for them to see, "because i can and no one could stop me."

Nightmare laughs at his daughter's delight, she opens it up grabs stick and blew... it did not work the first time. 

"*Want help Lit' Bro? Why don't ya ask ya Mama?" Fresh says causing Nightmare to fume if rage, just who was Nim's Mama?! Nim only has one Mama! And it was not-

Nim was in front of him. 

Nim was staring at him.

Nim was smiling at him. 

Nim was holding the bubbles out for him. 

Nightmare glances around at Killer, who shrugs unhelpfully- he eyes up the VIRUS and the new ERROR, both were staring right at him, how long had they knew he was here for; the creature of darkness kneels down and his daughter came closer. 

"*mama! help!" Nim asks sweetly and he felt his darkness melt at his precious princess.

Nightmare decides to remove his shield, it will look like his daughter was talking to herself if anyone else passes by, he did not want to make her look insane. If possible no one will call her insane. 

Nightmare to the bubbles and showed up, gentle blowing on the end instead of one hard blow as she had done, bubbles drift off around them. Then he handed it back and see copies him. 

The bubbles fly with her blow and she giggles in delight. 

Then she hurries back to show Fresh and Geno. 

Nightmare watches them kneel down as she repeats the actions, making more bubbles out. 

Fresh looks at him, then mumble something to her, he then took her by the hand and wanders a little way from them. 

Geno steps back to greet Nightmare, he felt Killer move closer to him. 

"*so. you're the one who saved my little brother." Geno said in a glitchy voice, some parts glitched more than others, "i own you my thanks."

" ***error was my best friend. i am sure he would have jumped into the void if it meant saving me.** " Nightmare answers him, keeping himself alert to any changes, however, unlike Error this new Destroyer had an iron mark of a calm smile. 

"*then this would be a completely different story." Geno response with that same smile but there was a hint of a smirk in his tone. 

"* **i shall be forward with you. destroyer.** " Nightmare says completely ignoring what he last said, " **how long have you known i was following?** "

"*mm? you mean. you were hiding?" Geno questions with a snort, his sockets turned blue and red for a second, "we can see through the code. we saw you from the start. error sees as playmates and thinks that mama was supervising us."

"* **another thing.** " Nightmare growls out darkly, his tentacles went wild for a moment. Geno rose a browbone for him to continue, " **why does nim speak more with you than me?** "

Geno blinks. 

Then grins. 

"*jelly?" Geno asks glancing over to the shin for a moment, "shins can speak a few months after releasing from their key. but error is a little different."

"* **'nim'. error is called 'nim' now.** " Nightmare hisses out with narrowed eye, " **and you mean because she was born early? another thing to kill cross for.** "

"*'cross'? and no. er-" Geno pauses when he sees Nightmare's darkness moving, "'nim' does feels like she does not need to speak. she actually told me this too. you already know what she wants before she asks." the glitch gives him a weak smile, "with so many monsters around her all doing everything for her. she just goes with the flow. how old is nim now? she should be speaking better than this. but because she lacks practice. even when she speaks freely. she has trouble forming words."

Nightmare lowers his skull, it was true...

"*and you carry her everywhere." Geno continues on, actually wiggling his finger at Nightmare now, "that's not the best for a growing shin. she needs to walk on her own."

"* **...she will just sit there until i pick her up though.** " Nightmare said with a deep frown. 

"*she should be walking. and talking." Geno growls and glitching, "i know you feel you're helping by doing things for her. but you are building up poor fountains. when she grows older. she won't be able to stand."

Nightmare frowns deeply, he needed to rethink some things... then he frowns for a different reason.

" ***destroyer. shall we come off the subject of my daughter for a moment.** " The Dark King says strengthening his back, making the other blink at him, " **i want to become your ally. the same kind deal as the last error had with me**."

Geno smiles at him, "*go on."


	37. Alliance

  
"*let them go." Nightmare growls darkly at the group of monsters surrounding his farmer nega-monsters that had come to Kitchen Tale for some new seeds, "or i will kill every last one of you with this tree branch."

To prove his point, he rose the tree branch in his hand, Nim had given it to him a few minutes earlier and he had been using it as a mock staff since them.

Nim was behind his legs, today she was walking on her own but kept close to him. 

The monsters looked at one another and grin. 

Nightmare would tell these monsters were not from this universe. Kitchen Tale was starting to become a hub world, much like Over Spar and that hub world that belonged to Core Frisk. 

Nightmare felt a spike of fear run through his SOUL. He was currently not wearing his darkness during this trip and if he frees it, it would let others know he was here and their defences will raise. 

Nightmare grits his teeth and glances around to see where Killer was... then remembers he was stalking Cross what their newest members, Nash, from an Outer Dust Tale. 

'*guess i shall really have to fight with this stick.' Nightmare thinks as he raises his gift from his daughter. 

Someone them picks up a stick for themselves, then suddenly, then got hit on the back of the head by a stone- the rabbit monster cries out and stumbles forward, he then looks around in shock at the farmers. 

Some of the farmers suddenly that pitchforks in their hands, all glaring at the group and not looking so helpless anymore. 

The group all turns to the farmers, ready to beat them, Nightmare growls darkly- which was strange without his darkness to make him sound more deadly...

Nightmare stares up.

DEATH was floating above them.

"*greetings." Nightmare growls at them, bending down to pick him his daughter and held her closer to him, "excuse me for sounding rude. but what do you want?"

The group heard him and looks to him. 

"*this lot is going to die soon." Reaper told him grimly, then looks to Nim, "since error has dead. my mate won't speak to me."

"*like i care. i do not recall asking of your mate." Nightmare snaps at the powerful skeleton then stare back at the group- they had halved themselves. With five going after the four farmers and three coming towards him and Nim. 

Nim was glaring at them. 

"This guy's crazy. He's here chatting to himself." A dog monster laughs loudly as he nears, raising his paw and showing off his claws.

A bear monster growls and steps closer, holding one fist in his other hand. 

The last one a fish monster and then had summoned a double-edged sword. 

Nightmare glares at them- they were going to attack a mother and daughter without care for the young one. ...thinking about, he had never actually harmed little or weak ones, normally letting the Gloom and Doom Boys deal with them. 

The sword rose up but it was the fist that reached him first. 

Nightmare turns to shield his little Nim and got hit around the back of the skull; he fell and before he could crash his offspring, he caught himself with one hand and held his upper body up.

The sound of a monster dusting came.

Frowning he rolls onto his side and sat up, holding the now crying Nim to him- the one who had hit him was alive, the other two were as well. It was the monsters who had attack his farmers that had died. 

Reaper was reaping their SOULs and placing their Essence into jars. 

What was the most surprising was, who had killed them. 

Dream. 

Dream stood them, having his pole as a staff which was dripping with blood. 

Nightmare's jaw drops slightly. 

Dream turns around and starts barking orders and soon the Star Warriors caught hold of the three in front of him and shoved to the group before they could do anything. 

Nightmare turns back to his brother who must have shortcutted because he was now kneeling in front of him, one hand reaching for him. 

"*Nightmare." Dream says softly so none could hear, "Do not worry Brother. I shall deal with these."

Dream reaches out and helps him stand, gazing over he sees his farmers were fine while his brother heals his cracks. 

"*No one shall cause you harm. Brother." Dream said to him told him and looking at him Nightmare could tell there was something off in his eyelights, "I shall protect you this time."

Nightmare was about to say something when Nim leans over and reaches for Dream.

Dream seemed to snap out of his daze and smile at the shin, he glazes at Nightmare quickly who nods. Smiling Dream picks up their offspring held her close, she never spoke to him but gave him a hug. 

"*...nim seems to like you." Nightmare comments dryly, looking at the monsters being dragged away, "send them my way. i shall wit-"

"*No Brother. I have caught them. So I shall deal with them." Dream told him with a bold smile, "Do not worry. They will be dealy with properly for daring to hurt you."

Nightmare tries to growl... it did not come out very well...

"*Nightmare. Have you thought about what I when you came around before?" Dream questions as he plays with Nim little hands and she giggles at him when he wiggles his fingers out of reach. 

"*about us making an alliance?" Nightmare asks with a raised brow, on seeing Dream smiles and nod, he sighs, "i know you have been working on this. and it does sound... interesting. however. you will not share important research with me. so. how can i trust you."

"*You speak of the saplings?" Dream says sadly, looking down and pausing his little game with Nim, "Brother. I have done that in order to aid you. Plus. Most of our research burnt in a fire."

"*i know. i am the cause of that fire." Nightmare told him with a proud smirk when Dream looks to him in surprise, "and i got myself have samples."

"*You have a sapling!" Dream cries out in surprise, he steps forwards, "Please Brother! Return that to me!"

"*i shall think upon it." Nightmare said smugly, loving his brother's begging tone, "also. i have formed an alliance with the new destroyer."

"*You have made contact with them?" Dream asks looking impressed with this, "We have been trying for months."

Nightmare raises his arms and on seeing the Nim immediately went to her mother, happily cuddling up to his neck once she got close enough. 

"*nim's blastday shall be coming up soon." Nightmare told him, then rubs his cheeks against Nim's, "my daughter would love for you to come. 

Dream beams at him.

"*also." Nightmare went on making his brother lean over, waiting for whatever he had to say, "since the new groups are raising up and becoming stronger. perhaps an alliance would not be so bad."

Dream was actually glowing now. 

"*mama and papa go on a date now?" Nim questions looking between Nightmare and Dream with interesting.

"*...'Papa'?" Dream says sadly with a bitter undertone, he glances at the farmers and then looks all around, "I can not see Killer anywhere."

"*...wait. what?" Nightmare said completely confused, Nim just giggled. 


	38. Voices

Nightmare wanders into his office. 

Killer, Horror, Blood, Red Nin and Nash were all sitting on the floor by the wall, encircling something. 

Raising a brow, he starts making his way over and found Nim in the centre with a phone. They were all speaking to her at once and she was pouting at them... even telling them not to talk to her. 

Nightmare noticed it was only when two or more spoke together. 

It was something Error disliked as well and rudely told them to shut their cake holes whenever they did.

"*send him a picture of a narwhal." Nash told her making everyone turn to him with a grin, "that will make him angry.”

Again they all spoke at once and Nim started looking troubled once more.

  
"* **silence.** " Nightmare growls at them, making them all turn to him. They rose and bow low to him, " **i believe that nim has the same discomfort as error when it comes to others speaking. so be sure to speak one at a time. i am understood?** " 

"*yes king nightmare." They spoke as once. 

" ***good.** " Nightmare said with a nod, he uses his tentacles to reach out for his daughter and scooping her up, he starts making his way to his deck, " **come. i have much to talk about.** "

The knights followed their king over and wait for him to speak.

"*firstly. the agreement with dream." Nightmare told him as he took a seat and places his daughter on his lap, "this is us testing the waters. as it were. and so far. we have a lot of creatures against us coming together."

"*yeah. there've been more attacks on us when scouting." Red Nin spoke up with a growl, "the newer groups have become restless too."

" ***yes. we must be careful.** " Nightmare told them, Nim smiles at him as she plays with his darkness on his face, " **they believe that an alliance between the nega and starlight will spell the end for them. or at least. a roadblock. dream and i are big players in the multiverse. and have been established for a long time. so we have to be ready for anything**."

The knights all nod their skills.

" ***we believe that it is the group named 'zero-twenty' that has been the one to have struck at us.** " Nightmare continues on, his expression becoming enraged, " **they also have dust with them. dream can dispel the casting on this other dust. he is currently in his care. we will be saving dust. once we know where he is. zero-twenty have three universes under their command. that is fairly big for a 'small' group.** "

"*do we know who leads them?" Killer questions darkly, black hatred pours from his sockets, he and Dust had been 'good' friends. 

" ***dream informs me that it is a g-sans.** " Nightmare told them, " **those ones a normally crazy. in more ways than one. we must tread carefully.** "

"*so... when are we getting dust." Horror questions looking at his horror counterpart, Blood grins at him, "because we were planning on going to get food for the party."

Nightmare knew what they meant. The pair had gathered a large number of volunteers to raid ten different universes to have enough food for Nim blasting day. 

The thing was, they had enough food but the pair was worrying. 

" ***we shall go after the party. they will think would attack some soon**." Nightmare says leaning back in his seat, " **dream told me that they have strengthened their forces. so. we let them wait. and wait. and when they let their guard down. we attack.** "

"*how we know when their guard is down?" Horror asks with a frown.

"* **i am sending a few spies out. dream is doing the same.** " Nightmare told them with a smile, "t **he new destroyer is going to be aiding us to. making some backdoors for us. any more questions?** "

Killer raised his hand.

" ***yes?** " Nightmare says with a smirk, he did not think that someone would actually raise their hand.

"*how long ago did dust get taken?" Killer questions with a deep frown, "from what the other dust has been saying. it's been a long time."

"* **you are right in thinking this.** " Nightmare told him with a deep sigh, closing his eye for a moment, " **it is true. it seems that zero-twenty has been active a lot longer than we think. they may have their fingers in every piece of the pie..**."

Nightmare looks to his daughter who stares at him sweetly; if she understood what they spoke about, she never showed it.

" ***...it may be close to eight years.** " Nightmare continues on turning his gaze back to them, he sees their sockets opening, " **that means. dust. our dust. will not have known that error has died. and that nim has been born.** "

Nightmare feels the furious rage building, with a heavy sigh he opens some portal behind them. 

They did not need to be told twice. 

Only Red Nin and Nash remained- Red Nin only knew the Dust that had been with them and Nash never knew either of them. 

Nightmare looks to his daughter once more, she smiles at him and hugs him tightly around the neck. The dark creatures smile at her actions and returned that hug. 


	39. A Happy Fanfiction!

Nim had a great time during the days leading up to her blasting. 

  
For the first day time, she spent the whole day with Mama. 

The second day was both Mama and Papa. Dream was a strange one but she loved him all the same and so did Mama. Nim loved the three of them together and wished that Papa could live with them always. 

On the third day, Mama took her around the city on an open cart-horse ride, with everyone waiting along the sides of the streets, waving as happily as they passed. 

On the fourth day, many monsters from different universes came. Nim mostly sat on the throne next to her Mama and the monsters she did not care for came in front of them, speaking about things she really did not understand. ...but they left gifts. Mama had them take them away before she could get a closer look.

The fifth day was two different events. The first half of the day was Mama and Papa signing some papers in front of others... they stopped to take pictures. And in the evening a grand ball was held. Monsters from all over the multiverse came just to dance.

Nim got the first dance with Mama and Papa, she was held in the centre of them while they spun around. And she loved it. And then she danced with each of her family members. Big Brother and Litter Brother had come as well. 

The sixth day they went around to new buildings, cutting ribbons to mark the openings on them. This was not only in their universes too, Mama took them to Papa's universe and Core Frisk's universes. 

The seventh day was a rest day, letting Nim sleep in... it was also the period when she started to feel the aches in her bones. 

Nim felt better one the eighth day and another party was held, this time a lot smaller and no strangers in sight. The party that been so much fun, everyone she knew and loved was there. 

Good food, good music, and good games. 

The ninth day Mama was on the throne again, given speeches to the crowds. Even Nim had to speak and she had a mighty cheer once it ended. The proud expression of her Mama's face had been well worth the stage fright she felt. 

The tenth day... the cracks started to appear at midday. 

Nim had cried, she hated the feeling of her bones being broken. Everyone kept saying it was normal and it would pass... it felt like a lifetime. 

Mama claimed it only took ten minutes for her bones to crack open and liquid marrow the colour of peaches came out, covering her bones over and over again- it took three hours for them to harden. 

Sweaty and sticky, she had wandered out of the room, her walking was a little off as she tries to adjust the new height and distances of the hand to the door since her arms were longer now. 

Doc mentioned that shins were meant to be the size of human infants between two to three-year-olds and skullies was meant to be the size of ten to twelve-year-olds. 

What Nim wanted to know was, why did they compare them to human sizes, to begin with? Were their lives being written down in some kind of story format for humans to read and the way for them to get a good idea of the skeleton sizes was identify them like this? Like some kind of fanfiction?

...

She slept for the rest of the day after that. 

On the eleventh day, Nim was getting used to her new body. Her bones looked more slivery and there were tiny white glowy dots along her nasal bone and smaller golden ones going down her cheeks from her socket- the golden ones were only visible if someone was standing right in front of her. 

Nim's butterflies had become more visible too. Then did not take away from her form as much as Big Brother's glitches did anymore, they did make a different shape that only she could see. 

The twelfth was the same as the second day. Mama and Papa were getting to know her it seems. She enjoyed her time with them. 

The thirteenth day was the same as the third. She went around and greeted everyone on the back of the cart. 

The fourteenth day... 

It would have been fun. 

If not for the fact that she had gotten kidnapped. 


	40. Lovely Dress

Nim was wearing a teal coloured dress. It had a sweetheart neckline with off the shoulder sleeves, it went down just past her knees and she wore matching coloured shoes. There was a ribbon on the back just under her shoulder blades- it was a part of the dress and was there for the sake of design and did not serve any function. 

The princess loved this dress... 

So was a little bit upset when she took kidnapped and a few rips happened at the bottom of the dress. 

Nightmare got it commissioned for her after the seamstress measured her new form, it had only taken a couple of hours to get her new clothes to wear because she needed to be seen. But this was one special, it was for the sole purpose of being a gift and not to be on display for the other kingdoms. 

"*what part of don’t kidnap the royal family. didn’t you understand?” A Sans's voice snaps at the five monsters that had brought her here, "nightmare and dream have flipped. they are tearing down the multiverse searching for her. even the destroyer has started too!"

"*boss. they won't find us here." A Fell Sans said with a snort, "this place is protected. and ya said ya wanted nightmare's offspring."

"*yes. but not yet!" The Sans snaps at them further, Nim leans over and blinks at the skeleton that was much taller most skeleton she had seen, "we needed backup from the 'perm' group with their castings! they would have been any to buff us if we're found."

Nim knew where she had seen this Sans before. 

Nightmare had shown them all a picture when they were discussing the zero-thingie. He was G-Sans. 

She then remembered that Dust was with these monsters. 

"*-but be careful. if anything happens we will have a war on our hands." G-Sans growls at them, then points to the skully who was sitting on a chair with her hands tied behind her back, "take her to the cells. be sure to keep watch on her. she might be a skully. but she's still nightmare's daughter."

With the G-Sans shortcuts out the room.

"I THINK HE'S BEING TO UPTIGHT!" A Papyrus said with a frown, "SHE IS JUST SKULLY! WHAT CAN SHE POSSIBLE DO?!"

A Sans came over and untied her hands. 

"*come on kid. let's take ya to the cells." The Sans says in a bored tone, looking at her with sleepy sockets. 

Nim rose up and straightens her dress, then with her skull raised high, she follows behind the Fell Sans. 


	41. Flight of the Butterfly

They had left Nim all alone in a room with three grey walls, the fourth 'room' had been cut out, she could still see the remaining plaster and brickwork- thick iron bars had been set up deep in the bricks. The window that was opposite the bars, had been sealed up with bricks and iron. 

There were a bed and a chair inside the room. 

Nim did not sit on them, instead stood in the centre, listening and waiting- and even if it was tore, she did not want to get her dress dirty. 

When she was sure no one was around, she walks forward and stops in front of the bars. 

With a grin, she looks to the ghosty form of a black skulled skeleton, who nods at her. 

She returns that nod and closing her sockets, burst into hundred of butterflies- yellow, purple, white, red and black. 

The butterflies flew together, moving as one; they went through the bars and out the other side. 

They fused together and Nim stood there once more, completely unharmed. 

With a hum, the skully walks a few paces and comes to some more bars like the ones she had just past. Inside was a skeleton that looked like a Swap of some kind.

"*hello. what your name? are you a sans or papyrus?" Nim questions as she moves closer to the bars, staring at them with interest. 

"Both." They questioned, dull sockets stared at her, "An offspring of a Fell Sans and a Swap Papyrus. Both are dead not. My name's Malic Acid."

"*i'm princess nim. do you want to leave with me?" Nim ask him with a sweet smile, "i got kidnapped and now running."

Malic Acid raised his browbones in surprise. 

"If ya can get me out. Then yeah." Malic Acid said with a small humourless smile, "Doubt we'll escape..."

"*don't know unless we try." Nim sang out with a bold grin, her haunting echoing voice carried down the hall, "so? join me?"

"Sure." Malic Acid answers with a shrug, "Go for it."

"*sealed from the inside. but it's easier to break from the outside." Nim hums in through as she studies the bars, little windows appear in front of her sockets feeding her information, "i can do this."

Gold ruptured from her back- three tentacles made from pure gold and yellow light with wisps of strings around the edges.

With one swift movement the tentacles cut through a couple of bars, they threw inwards, towards the bed and causing the skeleton laying there to leap up. 

Nim lets the tentacles go behind her, they started forming a different shape; two became like giant butterfly wings and ones went downwards, looking like a long tail with two points at the end. 

"*come on." Nim calls to him, then she starts moving along the hallways, staring at the empty cells with the new skeleton following behind. Until she found one that was not so empty, "hello." 

"*hello." The two Sans greeted her together, both smiling like the cat that got the cream. They looked like normal Sanses, apart from their jackets- one had a pale green jacket and the other had a pale yellow. 

"*i am princess nim. who are you two?" Nim asks them and could not help smile at them. Malic Acid steps closer and was eyeing them up with a deep frown. 

"*i'm lemon." Said the one with the pale green jacket.

"*and i'm lime." The Sans with the pale yellow jacket said. 

"*brothers?" Nim asks him looking between them.

"*yes and no." They said together again, the pair looked at each other and then back at her, "we are clones of the sans of our world. there the sans makes us in order to find a way out of the underground."

"*do you want to get out?" Nim asks him kindly. 

"*yes. but if you save us. you are responsible for us." The pair told her with a grin, "our lives were made only to serve. we have no master. our lives will be yours. we need a purpose to keep living."

"*if mama says it's ok. i'm sure mama can find you something for you to do." Nim told them with a grin, "mama is a king! and very smart!" 

Nim's wings moved so fast that if anyone blinked they would have missed the moments the bars fell. 

Nim turns and walks not even waiting for the pair to get out. 

"Are you going to stop for everyone?" Malic Acid said with a frown, "Do we have time for that?"

"*i made time for you." Nim told him with a slight frown, "and if they heard. they would be here by now."

Malic Acid sighs deeply then steps back quickly as Lemon and Lime stood either side of her. 

"*oh! hello dust!" Nim cries out in delight, she claps her hands together in front of herself, "you're here!"

"*who da hell are ya?" Dust snaps at her glaring at her hard.

"*i'm princess nim! daughter of nightmare!" Nim told him proudly, "i got kidnap!" she laughs, "mama is now going crazy! that might be a good thing. because we can esc-"

"*do ya think i'll believe that?!" Dust growls at her, he rose from the bed and stalks over to the bars, "this is some kind of trick! i ain't falling for it."

Suddenly Lemon and Lime stepped closer, facing down the hallway. Nim turns and sees that same Fell with four others came rushing over to them, looking ready to kill.


	42. Sweet Smile

“*that’s ya choice of weapon?! really?" The Fell Sans laughs mocking at the skully who held up a purple piece of string; currently Lemon, Lime and Malic Acid were frighting against the four that came with him, "ya don’t wish to rethink this?”

Nim held up the string higher with a flick of her wrist it became pointed and straight, looking more like a long thin needle now. Her wings were still out but she did not use them, she plucked 'strings from it, making them go different colours when she did.

The skully caused it to float and like a summoned bone, sent it towards the Fell Sans, who easily sidestepped it with a lazy grin. That grin soon faded when the purple needle hit against the wall with a boom. 

Sweat formed on his skull and he slowly turns to see the full impact. He slowly turns back to Nim, who had a hundred more needles ready for him to dodge. 

Nim gave him a sweet smile. 

She was so happy that she had a phantom helper the weeping skeleton had always been ready to help him ever since she could remember. 


	43. Please?

  
Nim sighs deeply and came to a stop, she turns around almost hitting into Lemon and Lime when she did, and faced the ones she had freed- after freeing them she had put her wings away. 

There was Dust, Malic Acid, a Papyrus called Camp, a Sans called 800, a female Sans called Sandi, a Swap Fell Papyrus called Tum and a lesser skeleton called Lyri that was actually half-snake- they mother was a normal Sans and their father was a Swap Sans skeleton snake monster. 

Then there was the Fell Sans, who very getting defeated by her, begged to join her. The other four had fled but they did not get far until they were dusted by Dust. 

"*can we behave like adults." The youngest of this strange group said with a deep sigh, then points to the empty room they had raided for food, "or do i need to put everyone in this room on a time out?”

Sandi giggles at this and smiling brightly moves over to her, "*put them in a time out sweetheart. that will teach them for being so noisy."

"*i don't like it when they all talk at once." Nim explains to her with a heavy sigh, "it does my skull in." she places a hand on the side of her skull.

"*don't want. we won't talk at once again." Dust told them glaring at them all- the murderous Sans still did not believe who she was but was willing to deal with them until they got out, he kept mumbling how he was going to kill everyone once they were freed completely from this place. 


	44. Blocked

"*here." Lemon says as he hands a bottle of water to his fellow clone with a bold grin, "try this. it tastes disgusting." Lime took the bottle off him and studies it with a grin to match.

"WHY OFFER THAT IF IT TASTES BAD?" Camp with a deep frown, he points to them, "I DON'T GET IT! DOES ANYONE GET THIS?!"

800 was standing guard by the double doors of the barn they were currently hiding in. They had made it outside with the that Fell Sans, who had become dubbed as That Fell, he had helped them pass a lot of room that was heavily guarded and showed them a hidden exit. 

800 came from a world that was filled with wars and was a hardened warrior, he took everything seriously and with no joking around. 

Malic Acid acted like a moody lesser skeleton and acted miserable with everyone. 

Lyri who was a lesser skeleton, acted as a calm voice of reason when the others went to do something stupid. Like when Lemon, Lime, Dust and Sandi wanted to prank some guard as they snuck past. 

Sandi acted like a normal Sans but a little more motherly to everything- everyone was sure she was putting it on like an act.

Tum was very quiet and followed behind Nim like a lost sheep, always looking ready to cry- Sandi managed to get out of him that his Sans had been killed in front of him by these monsters and instead of waiting to get revenge, he did not know what to do with himself.

Nim did what her Mama done with her when she was restless and wanted to do something. 

She gave him small tasks to complete. 

It was the reason he started following her. Lemon and Lime seemed against it at first but on seeing that he was protecting their master like them, they acted him into their fold. 

They were just starting to make him smile... it was small but it was there. 

"*so. how far to the gateway?" Dust questions That Fell and walking up to him, kicks him off the haystack he was sitting on. 

"*i told ya how far!" That Fell snaps at him, "its miles! and we're on foot! it could take days! and there's only certain building ya can shortcut in. all the outside is banned and blocked. so even if ya try. ya won't get anywhere."

Dust turns to Nim, glaring at her.

"*so princess. what how?" Dust snaps at her, "if ya are nightmare's daughter. can't ya contact him?"

"*nothing works. i tried my phone." Nim told him with a smile, she was not mad since she understood he had been trapped here for a long time and must be grumpy, "don't worry. as so as we're in a universe that's no block. mama will find us." 

"*they're starting to search for us." 800 calls over to them, never turning his sockets away from the outside, "we must move from here soon."

"*ok." Nim says as she stood up and dusted herself off, "is everyone ready?" 


	45. ...seriously...

The small group had crept into the building that held the gateway, it had been a three days walk with nothing much happening. Then they found a bus that had been repurposed to carry stuff for Zero-Twenty. 

Lyri, 800, Camp and Dust had changed into the bus dusted most inside and drove the rest of the same. The three Sanses they kept alive help get past the guards. 

The Sanses were now joined Nim's little group vowing to keep her safe. 

They were a Sans named Only, a Sans named Sold and a no named Sans who Nim started calling Part. 

They continued to creep, keeping low to the group during certain places. Right now they were sticking close to the walls and-

Nim turns around quickly when she heard the outcry, she blinks and stares down at Lemon who was getting his feet with the help of Limo.

" _*do you seriously just slip on a banana peel?_ ” Nim hisses at him when she noticed the yellowy broken peel by his foot; there were snickers and loud snorts all around them. 

Thankfully no one heard them.


	46. Quickly!

The gateway had been moved. 

That Fell had been confused and Nim said to spare him. 

Dust was growing weary of waiting and wanted to go on a killing spree. Nim was losing her hold on him and knew he would go mad soon, she also knew that her Mama would not be kind if he hurt her in any way, no matter who she was. 

Nim gazes out of the window, watching the rain hit against the glass, the sound was partly blocked out by the chatter behind her. 

After falling to find the gateway in that building, That Sans and the three that joined them on the bus, lead them to this city. It was full of life with monsters and humans going about their day as normal, never knowing that they were in grave danger. 

The door opened with a bang making everyone jump. 

Nim watches as Dust and Sandi rush in. 

"*let's just say." Sandi says to them in a hurried voice, "we are going to have to leave the city. like right now. we gotta leave right now.”

Everyone looked towards Nim. 

Nim rose up and nods to them all. 


	47. ID

"YOU LOOK LIKE A KID!" Camp told her with a gasp, "YOU EXPECT THIS TO WORK?"

Nim looks to him, then looks down to her jumper Sandi had stolen for her that morning.

"*i'm not wearing any stripes." Nim points out with a grin, " i can do it."

"OK! IF YOU THINK SO! I'LL BE WATCHING FROM HERE!" Camp says with a nod and kneels in the alleyway, trying to keep from the view of the bypasses. 

Nim turns and marches towards the shop- in this world children had to be at home during certain times in the evening. And adults needed an ID to prove who they were. 

Since they were staying must longer than they first through, someone thought it would be a good idea for each of them to get an ID card. However, they needed to talk to someone face to face. 

Nim was ready, she had seen enough dramas to know what to do and say, plus Phantom was always with her whenever she needed him. 

Nim steps into the building with butterflies fluttering in her SOUL, really wanting her Mama just now but kept a brave face on for the other's sake. 

Nim could do this. 


	48. Betrayed

Nim sat there in utter shock. 

She had liked to think she had gotten to know each one of these monsters who the nine weeks they had been together. Close enough to be called 'friends'.

And now one was running with the intent of going to G-Sans and informing him where they were. 

Nim let out her best growl and turning to Dust said the words she had heard from her mother many times. 

"*want this dealt with immediately." Nim hisses to him with narrowed sockets and something must have shown in her face because Dust was quick to act now.

Nim leans back in her seat, glaring at those in front of her. 

Malic Acid had been the first one she saved and she would have never of guessed he would betray her. 


	49. Fade

Nim stares in shock at the item in front of her. 

"*wh-who brought me this?" Nim asks as she reaches down and touches the blue scarf, "where did you get this?" 

"*find it in one of the raids." 800 answers as he frowns at the object, "why is it important?"

Dust was looking at it in surprise. 

"*that's right." The skully says suddenly looking older, looking at him, "you don't know. the error is dead. there's a new destroyer now."

Dust stares at her with a deep frown, clearly not believing her. 

"*you can believe what you like." Nim says sadly as she picks up the scarf and wraps it around her neck, "you'll find out soon enough when we leave this place. hopefully. mama won't kill you for disrespecting me."

Dust stares at her for a moment then starts mumbling something to the air. 

'*he talks the phantom of his dead brother.' Nim's own phantom explains to her, turning she sees the glitching skeleton had opened a window was watching some of his favourite shows, 'it will fade with time.' 

'*...will you too?' Nim asks sadly, she liked her ghosty guardian who was always there to give her help and advice.

'*yeah. the older than get the more i'll fade.' Nim's Phantom told her with a smile, feeling her upset he chuckles, 'don't worry. i'm not dying or anything. i'm just becoming a part of ya.'

Nim sighs heavily, she had been acting like a leader of sorts to these monsters but really, all she wanted was to be with her mother again. 


	50. enemy controller

Nim stares at the group in rage, her face twisted in pure hatred at those who mocked her. 

'*prove them wrong.' Phantom hisses to her, glitching like crazy behind her, 'prove them all wrong! don't worry. i'm here. i'll show ya what to do.'

Nim picks up the ends of the plain pick dress that had been given to her when she and her small band of monsters had gotten caught, then strolls over to G-Sans- she kept her skull raised and her features expressionless, not wanting to give anything away. 

Nim could hear her group shouting at her from where they had fallen, all calling for her to run. 

But her mother always caught her to repay loyally with loyally and these monsters apart from one, had treated her like the princess she was always taught she was. 

'*now. reach up and draw ya strings.' Phantom told her with glee, 'it's time i teach ya the basic of 'enemy controller'.'

Nim's sockets ached, her butterfly glitches went wildly as she came close to the outstretched hand of G-Sans; instead of reaching to that hand, her hands up went wards and she drew five white strings on each finger. 

G-Sans's sockets widen at the sight, knowing when a skeleton does this, who they were connected with. 

Nim gives them an insane grin that would have the ERROR proudly pat her on the back... and he did. 

G-Sans barely got out of the line of fire as she threw her arms out at Phantom's instructions, his followers did not and got caught in her strings, forcing their SOULs out of their bodies. 


	51. Cute And Sweet

Nim was being held in Dust's arms as he leans against the wall, her group had followed her even after her strange display.

Dust seems to think she was both Nightmare and Error's offspring now, and had started guarding her with his life.

Once again they were in hiding after G-Sans managed to slip away and return with a small army of monsters.

"*well. it’s really quite simple." Sold snaps at 800 in a low voice, "don’t kill characters. they might follow the trail of dust."

Nim nods in agreement. One time when stuck in a warehouse they had needed to kill every in order to stay alive, there was thick dust everywhere and could not help but tread in it. They had not realized and could not work out how the enemy kept finding them until Lyri noticed it.

Nim yawns and snuggles against Dust, she liked being treated as a skully again- as soon as she was being treated like one, she went back to being as one.

Nim also told Dust and the others, to act like this in front of Nightmare. Because she really did not want to be a leader, adult or some kind of saviour to them.

She was just Nim, Princess of Darkness, cute and sweet little skully and precious daughter to King Nightmare. That was how she wanted to be known.

...when she had repeated those words to her group, Lemon and Lime snorted loudly when she said 'cute and sweet' since she had been covered in blood and dust at the time.

Nim hugs Dust tightly, knowing that she could not act like a real skully again until she was safe in her mother's arms.


	52. Role Play

Nim and her band had been living in an old manor in the middle of some woodlands for three weeks, they had been raiding one of the four towns that surrounded the woodland each time for food and other supplies. 

Camp had managed to find a map when inside a building. 

Sold had pointed out five different locations where the gateway could have been taken and was heading in the direction of two places first. But because G-Sans troops had more than doubled, they had to lay low for a while. 

During this time they all seemed to set themselves into roles. 

Nim the Princess. Of course.

Dust, her Knight. 

Tum, Lemon and Lime her guards. 

Sandi, her personal maid. 

800 her general. With Camp, Sold, Only and Part being his soldiers he trains. 

Lyri was a great cook. 

That Fell the cleaner. 

Nim wonders what Malic Acid would have been if he had come with them but he had managed to escape with G-Sans that time. 

Nim wanders down the hallway with Sandi and Tum by her side. Out of all the guards, Tum stayed at her heels all the time. 

They came across That Fell who was cleaning the floor. 

"*having fun?" Nim questions with a smile. 

That Fell turns to her and glares. 

"*can ya not see u having a fantastic time?" That Fell said in a mocking tone and without fear, even when Tum growls at him. 

"*heh. ok. keep up the good work. it's looking great!" Nim told him happily, causing the Sans to mumble darkly about them not staying long so did not understand why he had to clean everything.

Nim did not understand even. When she gave the orders she was just thinking of the basic roles he had seen... if there was anything else he could do she was not sure, but a cleaner was just as important, right?

Nim smiles at him and starts moving away.

Truth told, she had no idea what she was doing. It was like a game of play pretend when she was trying and seemingly failing, to act like her mother. But it really was the surface level, Nim had no idea what happens beneath it all, most orders she gave were from her memories. 

Nightmare kept giving orders concerning food and supplies, so that's why she told them to raid the towns for food and supplies. 

Nightmare had knights that protected them and were in charge of land and events. The generals and soldiers she heard a lot of, so he included them. 

Cooks were also important. Magic food helped with healing and mood. 

And Nightmare always wanted the rooms free of any dirt, everything had to be neat and tidy. 

Nim was sure she was missing something because her mother was always working on paperwork and-

Nim pauses outside her room. 

"*alliances." Nim said suddenly, making the pair that was with her raise their brow in question. Nightmare always spoke of alliances and building up forces, always had then written an agreement on paper. 

Nim claps her hands together in delight, she was sure that was what she was missing to make her a good princess. 

"*bring me that fell. sold. part. and only." Nim said to Sandi with a smile, "i'll be in my office." 


	53. Don't Forget

Nim sat on the 'throne' which was just a fancy chair that Camp had found during a raid; she stares down at the four monsters that had been caught by her knights and soldiers. 

A Swap Sans, A Fell Swap Sans. A normal Papyrus and a Fell Papyrus.

Of course, like any Sans that was not from the #0 universes, they could not claim those names. 

When monsters were in much smaller groups that called each other 'Swap' and so fore but when more of the same 'Swap' or the #0 Swap was there, they needed a nickname to go by. 

At the moment they had no nicknames to be called by. 

That Fell and Only explained that there was a number of monsters against G-Sans, who was not the #0 G-Sans, this place was actually the start of an up and coming hub world but was taken over by him and those inside who were trapped because he gained control of gateway and forcing them to be his followers. 

They had a seal placed on their SOULs. 

Once Nim learned this, she turns to all her group and questioned if they too had this seal. 

No one said anything. 

It seemed they it mainly worked if they did or said concern key words that made them dust. 

Nim's lovely Phantom spoke up and said he knew how to get rid of it and would show her. 

So locking her the four in the ballroom she performed the task with the golden strings. After that they all spoke more freely, Nim had blinked at the new information she had gotten from them. 

Nim smiles at the four.

"*have them taken to the guestroom." Nim told her followers, she waves to her followers for them to come forward, "they are staying the night. and in the morning. we'll talk about an alliance."

The four looked surprised but rose up and followed Lemon and Lime. Everyone else but Dust filed out the room.

"*if mother knows about this place." Nim tells Dust with a smile, "then he will overtake it and free all these monsters."

"*well 'mother' is most likely still in a rage." Dust said with a snort, he found the thought of Nightmare being a mother highly amusing, "it's been months since ya kidnapping. i bet half the multiverse is in disrepair." 

"*...really? mother has not forgotten me?" Nim asks him quietly, tears filling her sockets, "i want to go home. i want to be with mama again."

Dust sighs and leaning over rubs the top of her skull.

"*nightmare wouldn't forget about ya." Dust told her firmly, he removes his hand and stands up, "i bet he's doing everything in his power to find ya."

Nim nods with a small smile on her jaws, "*if only there was a way to contact him. but everything is sealed on this universe."

"*well. this place was made to keep the destroyer out." Dust told her with a growl, "the only way is through the gateway and they keep moving the thing." 

"*...destroyer... the destroyer can't get in?" Nim hums and looks to her right and Phantom appears to stare at her, "but what about the other way around?"

"*huh?" Dust blinks at her in confusion. 


	54. Script

Nim stood in front of the camera, her new alliance was helping her get a message to the outside world using a device that had been two years in the making. 

They had signed many agreements with Nim and were happy that it was all on paper rather than them being controlled. And because she never wore any strips, they all treated her like an adult. 

Nim was wearing a black dress that looked like a wedding dress with white webbing along the bottom. She had a flower crown made with black roses and black strings coming from the bottom and lacing her back. 

"*tch. laugh all you want. but this." Nim said as she gestures with her hands to the dress, "this is fashion."

Everyone was trying not to laugh. 

The dress was made by her alliance group, who called them 'Grams' and Nim needed a name too, so dubbed her group 'Script'.

It really looked like was getting married rather than making an announcement. The Swap Fell Sans who named himself Sour, was standing next to her and going to be joining her during the speech. 

This was going to be broadcast to Grams' other alliance, telling their new union with Script and explaining what they were doing with Zero-Twenty from this moment onwards, basically declaiming war on them. 

There was a good chance of Zero-Twenty listening in as well but no one cared, they were not saying anything that needed to be kept to themselves. 

Nim gazes over to the cameras, she had used the strings to make the message go further out- however, there might be a three-week delay for those on the outside.

Sour had a few alliance that was on the outside, they travelled in and out pretending to be loyal to Zero-Twenty and managed to sneak information and supplies to them. 

Nim wanted the same deal with these others if this went on any longer. 

The camera's light blinks on and a Sans named Lumo raises a hand to signal them to begin. 

Nim smiles brightly and starts her new play. 


	55. And Jump!

Dust was running as fast as he could while throwing bones over his shoulder. Tum was running in front of him with Nim over his shoulder, able to watch Dust attacks and their enemies chasing them.

"*'relax. no one knew who i was'." That Fell screams as he runs alongside them, panting heavily, "those were ya words!"

Nim laughs, they had gone to the city to meet up with an associate of Sour and she wanted to see closer up on a Bitty that she saw in a shop window. It was a Lust Bitty and she had never seen one of this kind before.

The problem was that Zero-Twenty ran that city and she had to keep a low profile.

That part of town was lacklustre and did not seem to care about anyone apart from their gangs that worked only in the city's bounds.

Nim had walked right in and hook off her cloak's hood, revealing herself to the shop workers. Going over to the Bitties in a cage she poked the Lust one who just stared at her with lifeless sockets.

Ten minutes later they were attacked and Nim had grabbed the three Bitty in the cage.

She now had the three Bitties hanging onto her cloak trying not to fall as they now raced up the stairs to the high levels of the building- the other two was a normal Sans known as Classic Bitties and a Swap called Blueberries Bitties. The two most popular ones.

A bone went off her skull and looking up she sees Malic Acid glaring at her- that skeleton had really made himself her enemy.

Nim gives him a mad grin and waves as Tum Dust and That Fell, broke open the roof's door and turn the corner- they went right for the edge and leapt over it.

They landed on a large balloon that was attached to the back of their truck, this was not the first time they escape through the rooftops and now had plans for everything.

Nim rolls over and grabs her new pets, holding them close to her and the truck starts moving while they were still on stop- it had started to deflate as they went. Dust and Tum surrounded her, making sure she did not fall as they crawl to the side to get inside.

Climbing into the truck she could hear Lemon and Lime laughing about something and grins. Then looking down at her pets she hugs them close.

"*that malic acid really has something against ya." Dust growls as he settles down, "why? ya saved him like the rest!"

Nim shrugs, she could not remember doing or saying anything bad towards him... trust be told, she really did not care if the other hated her or not, she just wanted to go home.


	56. This Will Have To Do

  
Nim sighs heavily. 

She was chained at the ankle on her right side, with Malic Acid chained with her on his left ankle. 

The princess wore a long midnight blue ballroom dress that had golden stars at the bottom, her black cloak covered her shoulders and went down the ground- she had to rip a some of her dress along the right side up to her knee, in order to able to move with the chain on. 

'*why do i always rip my nice dresses?' Nim wonders to herself as she stood there with her arms folded over her chest, frowning down at Malic Acid who had sat down and was refusing to move. 

Zero-Twenty's G-Sans had caught them and thought it would be a good idea to chain all of his enemies together and stick them in a maze where they had to work together to find their way out while being filmed for the entertainment of his allies. 

Malic Acid was not G-San's enemy but one of his followers, so it did not make for him to be there... other than making things harder for Nim. 

'*i will cut off my own foot in a second.' Nim thinks with another sigh, he had alright been sitting there for an hour and if this went on, another trap would be set off around them. 

Suddenly the speakers sounded and the pair glance up.

"*Wonderful new princess." Came G-Sans voice with a smirk in it, "I have invited King Nightmare here as a guest with a temporary truce. Soon he will be tuning in and will see you. Remember to wave."

Nim glares at Malic Acid.

"*if ya don't start moving soon. i'll dust ya myself." Nim hisses at him in a low tone, her haunting voice stilled to worsen with the echoes of the damp cave walls around them, "move."

Malic Acid grins at her. 

"No." Malic Acid answers bluntly. 

Nim really had not killed anyone directly, it was always through orders... at least, she did not remember if she had or not. 

The speakers sounded again, "FOR THOSE WHO ARE JUST TUNING IN!" Came a Papyrus's voice, "LET'S GIVE YOU TODAY'S LINEUP-"

Nim stops listening; if they are announcing who was joining, died or still alive, then that meant new 'guests' had come along to watch this sick show. 

  
  
"*are ya really gonna stay like this? until ya die?" Nim questions with a sigh, "i would kill ya. and even tho i say i'd kill ya. i don't have the lv to back it up."

Malic Acid's expression softens for a moment. 

"-AND LASTLY! PRINCESS NIM! AND HER PARTNER FOR THE DAY! MALIC ACID!" The pair continued to stare at each other, listening to the announcer speaking now, "SO FAR THIS PAIR HAS DONE WELL TO SURVIVE! HOWEVER MALIC ACID HAS SAT DOWN OVER AN HOUR AGO AND HAS NOT MOVED SINCE! SOON THE HOUNDS WILL BE RELEASED ON THEM! AND IF CAUGHT! THEY WILL BE RIPPED APART!"

Malic Acid started to sweat. 

Nim glares at him. 

They heard the sound of many growls and howls from somewhere deep in the well-lit cave. 

Nim had to make a choice. Staying with someone who hated her and unwilling to help even if she got him to move, would not be the best thing if she continued onwards.

Then lifting up her leg high on the wall close by, she stares at the fetter around her ankle. It also acted in a way where she had limited use of her power. 

Summoning a golden bone with a sharp point, she rose it up above skull. 

Then brought it down upon her own leg, just above the fetter. 

The sound of bone against bone echoed throughout the cave, peach coloured marrow pours out with each strike- all during this Nim showed no hint of pain on her expression, just stares at the scene unfold. 

The fetter held to the ground with her ankle and foot, making a loud clanging sound as the metal hit the stone below. She dropped the bone she used to and leans over to the wall, helping to keep her balance for a moment. 

Her foot did not dust, instead, it became butterflies that faded into nothing. 

Turning she leans her back against the wall and raises the bleeding leg for the other to see, he was staring at her wide socketed. 

Then she tore at her dress once more- the stitching was well done and strong, it was just she was stronger. She used what she got off and wrapped around her bleed leg. She summons two other bones, then placed it either side of her leg, she uses the rest of the dress to bound up the bones to her leg, they went a bit further down in line with her foot. 

Nim stares at it for a moment. 

The only reason she knew what she was doing, was due to Horror. Horror had no legs and used fake ones, however, during a battle they had come off with one powerful hit from their enemies. He had used his summons bones and tied them to him, to able him to walk a little while. 

Princess Nim places her leg down and put her weight on it. 

The skully enjoyed inside, this would do. 


	57. Rot

Nim was so glad to have found Lyri, she sat on his snake-like back and let him carry her around. 

Sandi, Camp and Lemon should also be here somewhere since they had gotten caught with Nim. 

"*fooounndd oonnnee." Lyri hisses out darkly, he could actually speak normal but when he was angry or stressed, his words seemed to drag. 

Nim rose up and steps down on her 'foot', it hurt but she did not want to let it show on her face. 

Glancing down a pit, she sees Lemon sitting on top of some unconscious, seemingly trying to see them as a stepping stone to reach the top. 

"*put ya tail down there and bring him up." Nim orders with a small smile, Lyri quickly does as she asked and when Lemon climbs up, the green jacket Sans kneels down in front of her.

"*my princess." Lemon greets her, he notices her tore dress and then broken leg, he looks enraged.

"*tthheee ooottherrr?" Lyri asks as he eyes up now, "oohhh. dooo yaa sssstill waannttt theeem?"

Nim turn away from Lemon who quickly steps forward and offers a hand, he helps her closer to the pit to look further over. 

"*leave them to rot." Nim told him coldly, glaring at the monsters below, "do ya no remember what they did to us?"

"*g-sans has gone mad. those were in allies right?" Lemon comments as he glares at the group below and helps Nim to move back, he even bends down and carries her over to the snake's back. 

"*let's go. we still have the others to find." Nim says as she nods for them to leave this place. 


	58. The Poison Within

Nim was seated on a rock, Sandi was sitting in front of her, hugging around her centre and not looking at anyone. The princess had wrapped her cloak around the naked for maid and soft softly to her. 

Lemon had found her when they heard her crying out for help. 

Nim had wanted to go too, but Lyri and Lemon told her to wait in a hole in the wall while the two spit up to find her. 

It was a long wait. It felt like one of the longest moments of her life as she listens to the screams of her dear maid. 

At last, she heard Lemon's shouts. Lyri's followed not long after that. 

Then more long moments. This time in the dark silence. 

Lemon returns, staring at her grimly. Without a word, he takes her into his arms and carries down the cave, into a room that was built into the rock. 

He spoke of things Nim did not understand fully but realizes that Sandi was hurt badly and needed help right away. 

Sandi would not let anyone touch her other than Nim, who spoke gently to her- never in Nim's young life had she dealt with this and she had been raised around 'mad' and 'bad' Sanses, when death and murder were commonplace. 

"*are they dead?" Nim questions softly when Lyri comes over to her.

"*poison seeps into their veins as we speak." Lryi told her, finally getting control over his voice, "they will have a slow agonizing death with no cure."

Nim nods her skull.

"*all we need to do is find camp now and-" Nim starts to say but Sandi's grip on her centre tighten making her frown, "what's wrong."

"*camp was with them." Sandi explains with a raw voice, no doubt from all the screaming she had done, "he was helping them. he's the enemy now."

"*ok. we'll punish that traitor when we find him." Nim told her softly and gently, running her hand over the skeleton's skull through the cloak, "you heard that right?"

Lemon and Lyri nod their skulls. 

"*good. we can leave now." Nim growls out rubbing Sandi on the back, "can you stand?"

"*she can have my pants if she wants too." Lemon said as he tugs at the black shorts with the green line running down the edges.

Sandi was silent for a moment, then nods her nod. 

Nim watches as Lemon removes his shorts and had star themed underwear under them- he tosses them over to Nim who hands them to Sandi. 

Lemon that took off his jacket and wraps it around his middle while Sandi puts on the shorts under the cloak.

"*and she can have my jumper!" Lyri spoke up point at the purple turtleneck jumper that looked oversized for a normal skeleton to wear. 

Sandi nods once more. 

Standing up she turns and gets a face full of the jumper at Lyri's eager desire to help. 

Although Lyris was a lesser skeleton, he was still much bigger than a skeleton so when she pulls it on, it looked overly big on her. 

Nim removes some of the ribbons from around her dress when Sandi was straightening it up, she wraps it around her. It was tied around her middle and upper arms. 

Nim smiles at her, happy that her little band had become very close, wanting to help each other out...like a family... it almost reminded her of home. 

... her mind went to Camp, the Papyrus always been friendly to everyone and she could not even imagine him doing something like this. 


	59. Look!

Lemon and Lime were together again and high fiving each other. 

Sandi was standing close to the pair, watching them from a distance... those three had been close for a while and even with the horrible events that happened to her, Sandi seemed to still want to be near them. 

Nim stare at her from Tum's shoulders and then looks back to the pair. 

They were standing beside the cave exit, each was under a hill. Some woodlands were to their left and to the right an open field with a road. 

"*if ya want to join in. then go." Nim told her making her jump, her cheeks went pink and she slowly makes her way over to them two Sanses and mumbles something to her. She was a little timid but slowly she drew closer and smiles at them.

Nim was sitting up on one of Tum's shoulders, overlooking everyone. They had all come to save them but were not out of danger just yet. 

That Fell was mumbling something dark under his breath close by. Dust and 800 were watching their surroundings. 

"*come on. let's get out of here!" Nim calls over to them all, she quickly gazes around, wondering if the camera were still on them, wondering if her mother was still watching. 

That Fell walks over and threw something up to her, she caught it on reflex and blinks at her Lust Bitty crying for her. She hugs her pet and laughs. The other two she gave away but the Lust Bitty did not want to leave her, so she kept it and called him Lubi.

"*lions!" Sold shouts at them, he hurries over to them. 

"*lions?" Nim hums remembering her two pets sadly. 

Dust was standing in front of now and the rest of her group did so two. 

Hearing a roar Nim looks up and sees two lions coming closer, one male and female. One having a yellow ribbon around its neck and the other having a purple ribbon around its neck. 

"*wait!" Nim calls to them causing everyone to freeze, "those lions are mine!"

Luna and Solar trod over, Nim wiggles to get down. She set Lubi on her shoulder much how Tum had done to her, then raises her arms to the lions. 

They came over and purred loudly as she tries to hug them both around their hugs. 

"*luna! solar! how did ya get here?!" Nim says rubbing her face against their fur, "is mother here too?"

"*nim look!" Dust calls to her softly, so she looks up and sees her mother appearing from over the hill.

It started with just seeing those wild tentacles, then the top of the black oozy skull. As more and more of her mother came into view she felt herself tear up. 

Nim saw the moment when Nightmare sees their group because he starts running down the hill, behind him were his knights following. 

Nim moves away from the lions and hops forward, arms raised begging for a hug. 

Then tentacles reached her first, pulling her close to a tight hug. She felt her mother's hands on her cheeks, studying her face for a moment and hugging her some more. 

Nightmare actually did not hold back from crying, she could see grey liquid moving down his cheeks and she smiles. 

"*mama." Nim cries out holding him held, "mama!" 

At last, she felt home.


	60. Settling Down

Nim sat on her throne, her real throne, listening to her mother read the declaration of war again Zero-Twenty and his new alliance with Starlight. 

She was dressed in a white dress with a purple cape at the back. She now wore a tiara with a moon, sun and star on it. Nim also now had a fake foot like Horror, she had to learn to walk all over again. 

Nightmare rarely left her alone for long periods and was always checking up on her if he was going to be a little bit late. 

Nim had been confined to the tower at first, Nightmare fearing that someone would take his 'precious starlight' from him again. 

The king had rewards Nim's little group and made them an official department, mainly used for protection- 800 was placed in change and Soul, Part, Only and That Fell were its members. 

Sandi was still her maid.

Lemon, Lime and Tum became her knights. Dust went back to working under Nightmare. The newer Dust who was a spy, had now joined their ranks and was now called 'Soot'.

Lyri became her 'pet' because like bitties, they did not have any rights, even if he was only half. Lyri did not seem to mind, he lived on a room that was connected to Nim's bedroom and shared it with the lions and Lubi. 

Princess Nim got to behave like a spoiled little skully again and was loving it. 

However, she had to always remember who she was and what she meant to those around her. Nim also knew that because of this, she would most likely experience more of this kind of things in the future. 

Nim blinks when she found a note on her lap, unfolding it she reads the words.

[i'd love to have ya over for tea. geno has said he'll forgive me. but only if ya say so. -death.]

Nightmare's tentacles took hold of the note and he brings it to his face and reads it. 

Nim gives her mother a sweet hopeful smile.

"*no." Came the dark reply and she pouts at him, "...he can come here for tea. geno too."

Nim cheers and jumping up, bounces over to her mother and climbing onto his lap hugs him close.

"*thank you mama!" Nim says happily, he pulls away and notices her older self, "phantom says thank you too."

"*who?" Nightmare questions with a raised brow. 

Nim pauses to think, her past self was shaking his skull, so she smiles and says, "*no one mama."


	61. Dance Of The Jellyfish

A tall beautiful skeleton walks along; she had silvery bones that shone like the moonlight and glowy golden eyelights like orbs of honey and sunlight. 

She wore a long white Empire Silhouette dress with hints of purple and gold running through them, ribbons came from a small bow from behind and seemed to float around her. On the front, an embroidered sun was skilfully done. 

Two golden transparent butterfly wings came from her back with gold strings that always moved following their form, a long 'tail' that ended like swallow's tail, the same colouring as the wings. 

Upon her skull was a tiara with a black diamond-shaped in a crescent moon on top. 

Two lions kept pace with her and a snake skeleton slid behind her. A tiny bitty sat on his shoulders. 

Nim was standing beside her mate, ready to leave and start a family of her own. He felt so much joy at this moment that he knew that the sapling Dream had planted in the palace's garden would grow stronger. 

Nightmare felt a hand touching his hand... he held onto it back and Dream who stood beside him relaxes. 

Nightmare remembers the time when they first got together, because of that day when Cross carried him into Dream's realm wearing Killer's jumpers, he had thought that Nim was Killer's offspring. 

Nightmare took great pleasure in telling Dream that Nim was his offspring too. And his brother seemed to think he had come claim over him after that.

Nightmare gazes down at Dream's feet, four shins watched their older sister wed. Two looked just like Dream and two looked just like Nightmare. 

Looking back at Nim his sockets widen. 

For a moment he had thought he had seen Error standing there and smiling at him, a thankful smile. 

'*looks like you got your happy ending error... my starlight.' Nightmare thinks with tears in his sockets. Nightmare stares at his beautiful daughter, fully grown and moving forward towards her own happiness. The smile on her jaws was worth all the suffers he had gone through for her over the years. 

The music began to play and the ending on this chapter of their lives closed and a new chapter begun- Nim starts to dance with her chosen mate, her wings glowing brightly. Nightmare could not help not think that strings coming off the wings looked like jellyfish tentacles his princess dances. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to [artemiza](https://twitter.com/art_artemiza) for drawing Nim <3  
> 


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